Keeping older British battleships without naval treaties

Without naval treaties, would Britain retain its 12- and 13.5-inch battleships into the Second World War?

Not simply as museum-age holdovers; they would leave service in batches as new ships arrived unless a third major fleet required them as temporary strength.

The panel imagines four older ships leaving as each new capital-ship group commissions, rather than every prewar hull surviving indefinitely. A third major fleet for the Indian Ocean could delay that process because Britain would need enough ships for Home, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean squadrons plus independent duties. Retirement policy depends on force structure and replacement flow, not age alone.