The Royal Navy understood submarine warfare. Britain operated one of the world's largest submarine forces, retained First World War experience, and treated aircraft carriers as part of anti-submarine doctrine. Political leaders nevertheless paused carrier procurement and did not immediately convert the merchant and oiler hulls already studied for escort-carrier service. That choice reduced a capability the navy itself considered useful for a future Atlantic war. In this argument, responsibility for the pause lies with Churchill and the government rather than with a lack of institutional ASW knowledge.
Notable Point · 59:54-1:01:32
The Royal Navy understood submarines but paused carrier procurement
British submarine expertise and carrier-based ASW doctrine make the decision to halt carrier procurement a sharper target than claims of general naval ignorance.