Q&A · 3:21:17-3:29:33

Matching destroyer orders with interwar sloops

A one-for-one sloop program creates a large treaty-exempt escort reserve and attacks Germany's limited early U-boat force before it can develop experienced commanders.

Question

What if the Royal Navy ordered a flotilla of sloops per destroyer after the Ten Year Rule ended?

Short answer

The panel scales the proposal back to one sloop per destroyer, giving the navy more convoy escorts and submarine hunters at the start of the war.

Notes

The 1932 proposal implies annual orders of sixty-four or even 128 sloops, so it is reduced to one sloop alongside each destroyer. Dominion navies are expected to follow the Royal Navy's example and place additional sloop orders. Treaty provisions for vessels below 2,000 tons, designed for less than 20 knots and without torpedo armament, leave scope for useful escorts. A larger force would support two-ship submarine prosecutions during convoy operations. Germany has relatively few submarines available in 1939 and 1940, so early losses of boats and trained crews could restrict its subsequent force generation.