Why early-war carriers still carried 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns

Why did Courageous and Glorious still carry 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns when they were sunk?

They were lost early, before replacement work reached those guns; the old weapons still functioned and were better than leaving the positions empty in the meantime.

The carriers entered the war before every low-priority legacy weapon could be removed and replaced. Their 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns were obsolete for modern air defense, but they still functioned and occupied positions that otherwise might remain empty. Wartime refit queues force navies to keep imperfect equipment until a suitable replacement and dockyard opportunity coincide. The short answer illustrates how a ship's final armament can record timing and scarcity rather than a positive judgment that every fitted weapon was effective.