Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Chapter · 29:34-34:04

A 10:10:7:4:4 destroyer settlement

The proposed settlement gives Britain and the United States 200,000 tons each, Japan 140,000, and France and Italy 80,000, with larger leaders capped at 16 percent.

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Notes

Ordinary destroyers would be limited to 1,600 tons and 5.1-inch guns, while 2,000-ton leaders could consume 16 percent of the allowance. The proposal chooses 1,600 rather than 1,500 tons because many useful designs sat just above the lower figure and the extra margin could buy real capability. Britain and the United States would each receive 200,000 tons, Japan 140,000, and France and Italy 80,000. The 200,000-ton figure also creates a simple relationship with the proposed heavy- and light-cruiser allowances. Britain and the United States could each field sixteen leaders plus either 105 ships at 1,600 tons or 112 at 1,500 tons. Japan's allocation would support eleven leaders and roughly seventy-four to seventy-nine ordinary destroyers, preserving a 10:7 relationship while expanding every fleet's usable screen.