The counterfactual gives the Orions a speed of 24 or 25 knots and 14-inch guns, two ambitious departures from the historical class. It then asks how other naval powers might react to that larger British qualitative leap. America might feel challenged, Japan alarmed, Italy driven to greater effort and Germany placed under more pressure. No single outcome is proposed, leaving the international consequences open for the viewer to assess.
Notable Point · 46:39-48:12
Counterfactual: a faster, 14-inch Orion class
The closing counterfactual considers how America, Japan, Italy and Germany might have reacted to 24- or 25-knot Orions armed with 14-inch guns.