Britain could build more merchant ships, slow the rate of loss, or attempt both at once. Domestic yards could not replace every monthly sinking without the later scale of American and Canadian construction. Escort carriers therefore had to be presented as tools that preserved cargo hulls rather than luxuries competing with them. Making that argument required someone at the Admiralty who could connect the operational need to a buildable design. Henderson's absence mattered because procurement priorities were decided through advocacy as well as arithmetic.
Notable Point · 57:34-58:41
Procurement as a way to reduce merchant losses
When shipyards could not replace every sinking, an Admiralty advocate had to argue that protective construction was another form of merchant-ship production.