If war slipped into the late 1940s, naval industries would have kept preparing. Japanese 18-inch-gun construction would eventually become known and provoke British and American designs beyond the Lion and Iowa classes. The United States had exceptional room to expand, while Britain began with a denser maritime industrial base even though its ultimate scale was smaller. Soviet planners would face two undamaged industries capable of outgrowing Project 23's original benchmark.
Notable Point · 1:00:18-1:03:20
Why a delayed war would magnify the Anglo-American response
More time for Japanese 18-inch-gun ships and Soviet battleships would also give Britain and the United States time to expand yards and design much stronger answers.