Fisher and Henderson favour the larger L-class destroyer

Both admirals supported large, powerful destroyers, making the bigger L-class study a plausible choice over the smaller historical design. Their survival also removes delays created by Henderson's illness and succession, potentially advancing Implacable, Unicorn, Lion, Temeraire, Hunt-class destroyers, and Flower-class corvettes. Industrial capacity, eroded by interwar yard closures, was the main constraint. Henderson tried to overcome it through overseas sourcing and political pressure. The resulting alternative is modest but consequential: stronger leadership advances existing programmes by months rather than conjuring an unlimited fleet.