Dreadnought construction was concentrated before and during the First World War, declined sharply, then surged again before the Second World War. The interruption prevented several intermediate design generations from being built and tested. Capital-ship development consequently followed a discontinuous path rather than a smooth technological progression.
Chapter · 1:36:06-1:36:57
Construction waves and the battleship generations that never arrived
The rapid pre-1918 construction boom, treaty pause, and pre-war resurgence explain why several possible generations of battleship development never reached the water.