The Invincibles might be advertised as defenders of British trade, but other powers had to plan for them attacking commerce as well. Few merchant ships or ordinary cruisers could escape a 25-knot battlecruiser, and Britain already held a worldwide cruiser advantage. A rival could attach pre-dreadnoughts to valuable traffic, but that tied heavy ships to escort work and still risked a damaging action. Even a victorious battlecruiser might be put out of action for too little gain, giving the escorted convoy a deterrent effect. The ships therefore altered commerce-protection plans before a shot was fired.
Chapter · 13:03-14:50
Why British battlecruisers threatened rival commerce
The Invincibles could protect British trade or attack an opponent's shipping, forcing rivals to consider battleship-strength escorts for merchant routes.