Treating Tiger as replacement tonnage could let Britain build a sixth new capital ship as a fast battlecruiser. A 15-inch/50 weapon would let one new gun project serve that ship and later rearm the Queen Elizabeths, Revenges, Renown, Repulse, and Hood. Although smaller than a 16-inch gun, a heavy-shell 15-inch/50 could remain sufficiently powerful while delivering a faster fleet-wide upgrade. Parallel development might also encourage Britain to revisit the historically light projectile of its 16-inch weapon, making this branch a gunnery-modernisation program rather than simply one extra hull.
Notable Point · 1:30:17-1:32:07
One 15-inch/50 project could rearm the British fleet
Replacing Tiger with a new battlecruiser could make a 15-inch/50 gun program the quickest route to heavier firepower across many existing British capital ships.