Baldwin Walker narrows the choice to frigate or two-decker

The counterfactual keeps the officials who made the historical design choices. Surveyor of the Navy Sir Baldwin Walker favored large frigates and conventional two-deckers, whose length-to-beam ratio he regarded as suitable. Third Sea Lord Alexander Milne was a sound commander with a conservative approach to new technology, while First Naval Lord William Martin plays little part in this explanation of the decision. The criticism concerns their narrow technological choices, rather than their competence as naval officers. A more radical ship would emerge through scale and a new combination of established solutions. With Warrior already reaching the practical limit of the long-frigate option in this argument, greater power would mean building upward into an armored two-decker. The likely program would retain large frigates for cruising alongside the new battle ships.