The familiar saint-name proposals for the N3 battleships look less plausible than an admiral theme when tested against Royal Navy practice. Nelson and Rodney emerged from an active debate over capital-ship naming, while the projected G3 battlecruisers were also associated with admirals. Admiral Duncan and other major naval commanders were likelier N3 names because the service rarely used saints' names. The royal family could influence naming, while political attempts often met resistance. Ship-name reconstructions should follow institutional custom instead of being repeated as settled fact.
Notable Point · 3:22-6:13
Capital-ship naming and the N3 battleships
A naming-history aside tests proposed saint names for the N3 battleships against Royal Navy practice and the contemporary return to admiral names.