Construction timing matters more than a simple Caracciolo-versus-N3 comparison. By the time four Italian ships entered service, Britain could already be ordering successors beyond the G3 and N3 programs. British moves would influence Japanese plans, which would in turn shape American decisions, creating a chain of reactions capable of destabilizing the Washington Naval Treaty. The United States might not fear the Italian ships directly across the Atlantic, but it would still have to account for the British and Japanese responses they provoked.
Notable Point · 1:34-3:46
Four Caracciolos could reshape the treaty-era building race
A completed four-ship Italian class could pressure Britain, Japan, and the United States into responses that undermine the Washington treaty settlement.