How effective would ten ocean-going and ten coastal U.S. battleships have been in the 1890s?
Short answerThey would provide credible local strength, but their speed and separation between oceans would limit their ability to concentrate against an attacker.
NotesThe proposed fleet has ten ocean-going and ten coastal battleships, divided between the two American coasts. Each coast would have enough local strength to require a substantial attacking force. Slow ships and the absence of a Panama Canal would nevertheless limit concentration and make it difficult to force an opponent to fight where those ships were stationed. An enemy could choose a different point of attack. The scenario also raises a possible funding consequence: a large initial purchase could make later replacement expenditure harder to obtain.