If Admiral Ernest King were put in charge of the Constellation program, how quickly would he restore the Bureau of Ordnance?
Short answerHe probably would not restore the bureau, but he would state clearly what the frigate was for and enforce a consistent procurement and design philosophy.
NotesIn this counterfactual, Ernest King would leave the Bureau of Ordnance unrestored. His imagined contribution would be to state plainly what the Constellation programme was meant to produce. He would insist on a consistent design philosophy and follow it once adopted. This is a conjecture about King's response to the programme, rather than an event in his career.