Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:41:22-1:41:58

A separate treaty category would need a battlecruiser benchmark

A treaty distinction between battleships and cruiser-hunting battlecruisers would depend on whether Hood or Renown supplied the model.

Alternate HistoryBattlecruisersHMS HoodLexington Class BattlecruisersRenown Class BattlecruisersWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

What if the Washington treaty treated cruiser-hunting battlecruisers as a separate category from battleships?

Short answer

Hood or the Renown class could supply the benchmark, with consequences for American Lexingtons, but no definite tonnage limit is proposed.

Notes

The scenario gives battlecruisers a treaty category separate from battleships on the basis of their cruiser-hunting role. That raises the question of whether Hood should define the category or be treated as an exceptional ship. Using the Renown class as the benchmark is another possibility. Either choice would affect what other signatories could obtain, including the prospects for American Lexingtons. No firm tonnage allowance is settled.