Britain's problem in the 1930s was not simply a lack of yards. Interrupted battleship construction also eroded armour-production capacity and the wider industrial network. Steel, armour, bearings, and other specialised inputs form second- and third-order infrastructure behind the slipway. The comparison is to supply chains under sudden pressure, when nominal factories cannot immediately produce larger quantities to the required standard. The First World War inherited recent high-volume capacity, whereas rearmament before the Second World War had to rebuild suppliers after years of low demand and offshoring.
Chapter · 1:10:02-1:16:57
Shipbuilding capacity is more than empty slips
A long discussion explains why warship output depends on armour, steel, components, and trained suppliers as much as on the shipyard itself.