Ordering, design, and escort readiness

Ordering had two distinct meanings: commissioning the Director of Naval Construction to develop a ship and placing a finished design with a shipyard. A commercial hull could not simply be selected and filled with equipment because the navy first had to define the escort's weapons, machinery, endurance, and operating role. That design work determined which commercial hull was suitable and reduced the problems likely to emerge during mass construction. Wartime escort programs drew on this earlier preparation instead of beginning as improvised purchases after September 1939.