Once war removes treaty restraint, the counterfactual considers whether later King George V-class ships could be redesigned around 15-inch guns. King George V and Prince of Wales are already too advanced, and Duke of York may also be beyond easy alteration, leaving Anson and Howe as the more plausible candidates. Even those changes would compete with the urgency of getting hulls into service rather than reopening major design work. Carrier construction offers a clearer acceleration path because Illustrious, Formidable, Victorious, Indomitable, and Indefatigable already belong to programmes Britain urgently needs in the Pacific. A battleship redesign remains speculative; accelerating the existing carrier programme is the more practical choice.
Notable Point · 47:57-49:12
Treaty collapse accelerates battleships and fleet carriers
An early end to treaty restraint could reopen 15-inch-gun options for later King George V-class ships while accelerating Britain's fleet-carrier programme.