Many early destroyers had left service by World War I, but replacements were available. The Royal Navy could draw on a large private shipbuilding industry for these smaller ships. Royal Dockyards had not yet taken part in the destroyer construction described here because they were undergoing upgrades and concentrating on capital ships and cruisers. The division of work allowed destroyer production to expand through commercial yards while the dockyards handled larger warships.
Chapter · 28:46-29:36
Private yards carried early destroyer production
A large commercial shipbuilding industry let the Navy replace early destroyers while Royal Dockyards concentrated on cruisers and capital ships.