A ship counts as key here because of its utility rather than its fame. One Dreadnought could establish the design, but several compatible ships were needed to test formations, command, and collective firepower. The decision to build only three Bellerophons and three St Vincents left Britain short of the eight ships normally required for a homogeneous battle squadron. Bellerophon's importance lies in turning an individual design demonstration into a formation that the Royal Navy could actually train and evaluate.
Notable Point · 1:02:09-1:04:10
The Bellerophons proved the dreadnought squadron concept
Dreadnought demonstrated a ship; the Bellerophon class made it possible to test how such ships fought together as a division and battle line.