The second and third series were scheduled so late that most ships never reached the keel-laying stage. Two second-series hulls received formal dates close to the stated armistice cutoff. The four percent figure is doubtful because one ship's formal date came after that cutoff. One possibility is that the figure referred to components and steel already at the yard, or to material later counted during scrapping. The uncertainty shows why nominal completion percentages need to be read alongside actual construction dates.
Chapter · 25:46-27:18
Late series and the disputed four percent claim
Claims that two very late hulls reached four percent completion may refer to materials at the yard or later scrapping records rather than completed ship structure.