Had the case for more escorts been made at the time?

Was the argument for enough escorts to permit proper maintenance put forward at the time?

Yes; Jeremy Black, Michael Clapp, and others made it, but the necessary spending was not accepted.

The claim that extra ships would allow better maintenance prompts a question about whether anyone made that argument when fleet numbers were being reduced. Jeremy Black, Michael Clapp, and others are identified as advocates who did raise it. The explanation offered is that decision-makers did not want to commit the necessary money. The absence of a larger fleet therefore does not show that its readiness benefits went unrecognized.