A carrier-backed Lexington force gives America speed at the edge of the fleet, but the standard battleships remain a 21-knot formation. By 1930, British and Italian entry-level battleships in this scenario are expected to reach roughly 28 knots. American treaty negotiations and modernization would therefore prioritize speed much earlier. Japan faces the same benchmark: a 27-knot Yamato designed to overwhelm slow standards no longer looks safely faster than the fleets it must fight.
Notable Point · 2:31:57-2:33:58
A 28-knot treaty world makes America's battle line obsolete
Fast British and Japanese capital ships would expose the 21-knot American battle line and make a historical 27-knot Yamato an inadequate answer to the new environment.