Armor manufacture was a serious British battleship-production constraint, although that bottleneck was improving. King George V- and Lion-class protection was arranged so armor could be fitted after launch and handled by a wider range of imperial yards. The ordering dates of the King George V class also show how accounting can disguise the practical tempo of procurement. Ships assigned to adjacent financial years could in reality be ordered only a few months apart, satisfying Treasury presentation without creating two wholly separate production decisions.
Notable Point · 17:42-20:03
British battleship production depended on armor supply and adaptable yards
British capital-ship output was constrained more by armor manufacture than by the ability to fit protection at a wider range of yards.