Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 5:34:21-5:36:30

If Dreadnought launched as the Second World War Prince of Wales

A 28-knot, radar-equipped ship with ten 14-inch guns in 1906 would reset the battleship standard and push rival navies toward much larger weapons and hulls.

HMS DreadnoughtKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Naval Arms RaceNaval Gunnery
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Question

What if HMS Dreadnought became the Second World War HMS Prince of Wales when it was launched?

Short answer

It would dominate every contemporary capital ship and provoke a much more extreme arms race in speed, fire control, displacement, and gun caliber.

Notes

The transformed Dreadnought would raise the battleship benchmark from 21 knots to 28 knots and introduce ten 14-inch guns with radar. Its 5.25-inch secondary guns would also attract interest as a new cruiser armament. British manufacturers could study equipment far ahead of contemporary designs. Once 14-inch guns became the starting point, further competition might move to 15.5-inch, 16-inch, or even 16.5-inch weapons. The scenario therefore changes the pace and scale of the battleship race immediately.