If Agincourt entered service as an 18-inch-gunned fast battleship, the Admiral class would probably continue that combination. A target near 28 knots would leave more scope for armour than Hood's historical 32-knot performance. Larger guns would still require a long hull, so the resulting ships need not be much shorter than the historical Admirals. Design work had begun before Jutland, but battlecruiser losses there would reinforce an existing preference for better protected fast battleships. Hood, Anson, Howe, and Rodney would therefore follow a different design path while still responding to wartime experience.
Notable Point · 1:29:43-1:37:09
Jutland reinforces an 18-inch fast-battleship Admiral class
Once Agincourt establishes the design path, wartime battlecruiser losses make the four Admiral-class ships more likely to become protected 18-inch fast battleships.