The 1909 Dominion conference proposed locally based cruiser squadrons, each led by a battlecruiser. Australia and New Zealand had to choose between a ship designed chiefly to hunt cruisers and one intended to fight other battlecruisers. Cost and the expected local threat shaped that choice. The squadrons were also part of Britain's effort to share the expense of maritime security with the self-governing Dominions.
Chapter · 10:04-11:52
Dominion cruiser squadrons and imperial cost sharing
The 1909 conference proposed Dominion cruiser squadrons and raised the choice of what kind of battlecruiser should lead them.