The earlier-construction counterfactual includes an efficiency-first armament choice: a modernized 15-inch gun with reconditioned mounts instead of King George V's 14-inch weapon or Lion's new 16-inch gun. That choice could support both new ships and upgrades across Britain's large force of 15-inch battleships and battlecruisers. This was a personal preference in the discussion, not the Admiralty's historical decision. The example shows how common equipment could modernize a whole fleet rather than one class.
Notable Point · 31:28-32:06
A common improved 15-inch gun option
An efficiency-first alternative would use a modernized 15-inch weapon to support both new construction and upgrades across the older battle fleet.