Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 49:18-54:17

Swapping later ships into an earlier namesake class

Putting the 1949 Daring class into 1893 would transform British naval technology before the First World War, with later submarines and Tribal destroyers offering other severe mismatches.

Alternate HistoryDaring Class Destroyers (1949)HMAS VampireNaval TechnologySubmarinesTribal Class Destroyers (1936)U Class SubmarinesUpholder Class Submarines
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

Which two namesake ship classes from different eras would be most interesting to swap?

Short answer

Putting the 1949 Daring class into 1893 would transform British naval technology before the First World War, with later submarines and Tribal destroyers offering other severe mismatches.

Notes

The counterfactual replaces an earlier class with much later ships sharing its name. Suggestions include the four British submarines built in the 1980s and later sold to Canada replacing wartime U-class boats, and Second World War Tribal destroyers replacing their First World War namesakes. The longest discussion puts the 1949 Daring class, represented by HMAS Vampire, into 1893. Those ships would introduce small-tube boilers, turbines, radar, fire control, and six rapid-firing 4.5-inch guns decades early. Their range and rate of fire would create severe mismatches against contemporary cruisers. The Royal Navy would then have twenty-one years to study and develop the machinery and electronics before the First World War.