Q&A · 1:23:13-1:25:50

Enlarged Orions and a triple-turret battle line

A design-lineage answer tests a dramatically enlarged Orion and identifies triple turrets as the requirement capable of explaining the displacement jump.

Question

How would much larger Orion-class battleships affect later Queen Elizabeth and R-class designs?

Short answer

A 6,000-10,000-ton increase only makes sense with a major requirement such as triple turrets, which could lead to fifteen-gun Queen Elizabeth and R-class ships and perhaps 28-knot machinery.

Notes

The proposed Orion dimensions are so different from the historical ship that later classes cannot simply follow their recorded designs. A fifteen-gun triple-turret arrangement is the most plausible reason for the added size. Once that choice enters British practice, Queen Elizabeth and the R class could inherit fifteen 15-inch guns and use the larger hulls to pursue higher speed.