Larger British battleships and an earlier Vanguard

In the counterfactual, Britain has less reason to order the treaty-limited 14-inch King George V class. A possible replacement carries twelve 16.5-inch guns, makes about 30 knots, and displaces roughly 45,000 to 50,000 tons standard. The British possibility uses 16.5-inch/45-calibre weapons, while the American programme might retain 16-inch/50-calibre guns. Larger slips in Newcastle, at Harland and Wolff, and in Scotland offer alternatives to the yards chosen for the historical ships. Some facilities used for cruiser or ocean-liner construction could accommodate the larger hulls, although the yard allocation would change. A parallel Vanguard-style programme could use 15-inch weapons from older R-class battleships and the stocks associated with Courageous and Glorious. The scenario therefore allows both a new heavy-gun battleship and a faster route to service using existing weapons.