Q&A · 14:14-15:30

Would an American threat prompt more Tiger-style battlecruisers?

Fast capital ships could answer an Atlantic threat, but the British program would depend on the naval expansion the United States could sustain.

Question

Would Britain build more Tiger-style battlecruisers if the United States joined the Central Powers?

Short answer

Possibly, because fast capital ships could reinforce the Atlantic quickly, but the choice would depend on the scale of American naval construction.

Notes

Tiger-style battlecruisers are suggested as a British response to an American alignment with Germany. They point toward fast battleships that could deploy rapidly across the Atlantic. The response makes the choice dependent on the American building program, rather than accepting a fixed British order of battle. Losing the Great White Fleet demonstration could also weaken the domestic case for American naval spending, changing the threat Britain had to answer.