The hypothetical starts from the upper-cruiser band represented by the Alaska class and contemporary Japanese super-cruiser work. Britain had no 12-inch gun in production, so one possible design carried six 14-inch guns in three twin turrets adapted from the King George V pattern. Reusing 15-inch turrets was another possibility, though that armament blurred the boundary with a battlecruiser or battleship. The answer depended as much on treaty conditions and the official label as on the hardware. The exercise exposes how unstable cruiser classification becomes when the middle band below capital ships reappears.
Notable Point · 3:14-4:02
A British super-cruiser thought experiment with 14-inch guns
A speculative British design shows how gun availability and treaty conditions could blur the line between a heavy cruiser, battlecruiser, and battleship.