Flower-class corvettes and emergency destroyers show that crash programs still require design, yard, and training time. Ships ordered around the opening of the Second World War did not arrive in useful numbers until late 1940 or 1941, leaving the existing fleet to face the initial emergency. Even lessons recognized during combat took years to appear in new construction. Dual-purpose destroyer guns, for example, rested on development work begun well before the war. Prewar readiness, reserve capacity, and industrial continuity therefore matter more than promises of rapid expansion after shooting starts.
Notable Point · 1:27:33-1:30:24
Why a navy fights first with the fleet it has
Second World War construction timelines illustrate why even emergency corvettes and destroyers arrived too slowly to solve the opening crisis.