The fleet's global basing system could make new ship and turret arrangements more burdensome than they appeared at home. Coal already had a broad support network across the South Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean. Oil was a strategic resource that Britain had to obtain from the United States, the Middle East, and Canada, without a comparable domestic supply. A sudden fleet surge to the Far East would be easier to support with the established coal system. The design question is logistical as well as technical: a ship that works in home waters must still be fuelled, repaired, and supplied after a distant deployment.
Notable Point · 40:54-43:23
Coal, oil, and the Royal Navy's global support problem
Triple turrets and oil firing had to be judged against the Royal Navy's worldwide dockyard and fuel network as well as the ship's paper performance.