Nelson and Rodney alternated as the Royal Navy's most powerful available battleship and Home Fleet flagship, because a refit to one left only the other in service. Hood supplied speed and imposing presence, but not the same armour and 16-inch-gun fighting power. Nelson's efficient hull still made about 23 knots from two shafts and 45,000 shaft horsepower, leaving room for a plausible faster alternative if the class had been larger. Within the planned N3-G3 system, however, the scarce Nelsons inherited the role of heavily protected hammers while cruisers and surviving battlecruisers supplied speed. Losing either ship would erase half the capability, so survivability carried more weight than it would in a numerous class.
Notable Point · 57:22-1:01:58
How availability shaped Nelson's design priorities
Nelson and Rodney show how fleet availability changes design priorities: losing or refitting one of two ships sharply reduces a navy's usable heavy capability.