Interwar naval competition did not imply an expectation of war between Britain and the United States. They were not formal allies, but most disputes capable of provoking conflict had already been resolved. Building a more capable battleship was a normal response to a rival's design and did not itself cause war. Britain's thirteen 15-inch-gun capital ships gave the American 16-inch program a qualitative benchmark, while only three new American 16-inch ships entered service before treaty limits intervened. The competition matched capability under treaty politics and did not amount to an aggressive quantitative buildup for an Anglo-American conflict.
Notable Point · 57:20-59:32
Anglo-American shipbuilding follows qualitative competition
British 15-inch and American 16-inch capital ships illustrate qualitative interwar competition without indicating preparation for an Anglo-American war.