The Alaska class can be seen as the end of a long American search for a large, fast, heavily armed cruiser rather than a sudden wartime invention. A visible German task-force threat could bring that concept forward. Britain and the United States would also press for more carrier tonnage because aircraft are needed to find raiders across oceanic distances. If carrier allowances rise while treaty ratios remain in place, Japan could build more carriers too and might find the treaty system useful for longer. The propulsion change therefore produces second-order effects in fleets far beyond Europe.
Notable Point · 1:41:43-1:43:52
The United States may build Alaska-style ships and more carriers earlier
German long-range cruisers reinforce established American interest in powerful cruiser-killers and could also raise interwar carrier allowances.