Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:11:49-2:12:36

Would a longer-lived Beatty demand more battlecruisers?

Beatty's preference for Nelson and Rodney over the faster F3 proposal makes a larger battlecruiser programme uncertain even if he lives longer.

BattlecruisersDavid BeattyNelson Class BattleshipsWarship Design
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Question

If Beatty lived longer, how many more battlecruisers would he make the Admiralty build?

Short answer

Probably not many. As First Sea Lord, Beatty favoured Nelson and Rodney over the faster F3 proposal.

Notes

A longer life for Beatty would not necessarily produce more battlecruisers. As First Sea Lord, he supported the Nelson and Rodney battleship design while many naval officers favoured the faster F3 proposal. The F3 route could have produced a fast battleship or battlecruiser, but Beatty pushed the choice towards the slower ships. Commanding battlecruisers therefore does not establish that he would demand a larger fast-capital-ship programme.