Beatty's procurement record is interpreted as an effort to defend his conduct during the First World War. On this reading, choosing Nelson and Rodney over the fast, fully armoured F3 battlecruiser supported the claim that battlecruisers themselves had been at fault. The Royal Navy also ordered virtually no new destroyers or sloops during his time as First Sea Lord, relying instead on wartime stocks. County-class cruisers went ahead, but their speed and limited armour fitted his preference for fast cruiser designs. These choices form an argument about Beatty's priorities rather than a claim that every procurement decision had a single cause.
Notable Point · 32:37-35:15
Beatty's interwar procurement priorities
One interpretation links Beatty's preference for Nelson, Rodney, and lightly protected County-class cruisers, together with few small-ship orders, to his defence of his wartime record.