Delay the orders and build 15-inch-gun Tigers

The alternate path requires Dudley to slow down or Australian ministers to exercise more control over the timetable. Once Tiger and the Queen Elizabeth class were shaping British construction, returning to the older Indefatigable design would make little sense. The proposed ships are enlarged Tigers with eight 15-inch guns and somewhat better protection, one each for Australia, New Zealand, and the Royal Navy. Scaling from earlier increases in gun calibre gives an estimated standard displacement of roughly 31,000 tons. Reworking a familiar design keeps the proposal more conservative than starting from a wholly new concept, although the ships would still cost more than the historical Indefatigables. The scenario calls this trio the Hood class. Hood names the British 15-inch Tiger derivative, while Rodney names the ship occupying the place of the historical HMS Hood. Australia and New Zealand would ultimately operate their respective ships.