Why the Royal Navy still needed heavy cruisers

The Royal Navy wanted something close to an 18,000-ton cruiser within a 10,000-ton treaty format while still meeting worldwide commitments. Invincible had cost about £1.7 million, while Hood reached roughly £6 million and more than 47,000 tons at deep load; a County cruiser cost about £2.18 million despite later inflation. A nominal four-ship battlecruiser squadron might yield only one fully worked-up ship once long refits, shorter maintenance, and training are allowed for. Spending the same money on heavy cruisers bought more hulls able to protect trade, hunt raiders, scout, and cover distant stations. A heavy cruiser could deter or damage a battlecruiser and could be built in useful numbers, although it could not defeat a modern battlecruiser outright. Cruiser design was therefore a question of force availability as well as individual fighting power.