"So basically they don't have the people to fill all the roles incl supporting fleet."
Interesting... if you go back to the early days (2006!!) of this thread, when WEBF must have been about 15, the issue of manning has been a constant issue for the naysayers. The True Believers have always rubbished the argument saying:-
a) it would never happen
b) it didn't matter as one or two carriers out weighed anything else the navy does.
Now it appears some returning chickens are on the horizon......................
