Why Renown's speed was the decisive comparison

The Ersatz Yorcks were first conceived as further Mackensens, but the arrival of Renown changed the comparison. Renown brought six 15-inch guns and a claimed speed of 32 knots against the German design's planned 27.3 knots. Published maximum speeds are operating figures because wartime crews can accept poorer fuel economy and smaller safety margins to force more power from machinery. The speed gap therefore mattered beyond paper specifications: a faster battlecruiser could decide whether to close, shadow, or withdraw. Fisher also used turrets freed from cancelled R-class orders in monitors, part of the procurement logic surrounding the Renowns. Renown's 15-inch guns remained dangerous despite the British shell defects seen at Jutland, where heavy shells still delivered substantial kinetic damage. A hypothetical comparison with Greenboy-style shells separates the gun's power from the British projectile failures of 1916.