At about 15,700 tons normal displacement and 19.5 knots, the España class was smaller and slower than HMS Dreadnought despite entering the same broad technological era. Its four twin 12-inch turrets included wing positions whose theoretical end-on fire was constrained by the ship's structure. Contemporary British construction already included the faster Colossus class and the all-centerline, 13.5-inch Orion class, making Spain's new ships look a generation behind. Jaime I was laid down in 1912, launched in 1914, and not completed until 1921, so the long build compounded the original compromise. The comparison explains why possessing nominal dreadnoughts did not make Spain an obvious participant in a treaty built around the fleets driving the capital-ship race.
Notable Point · 44:33-50:40
España's scale made a new dreadnought look obsolete
The compact España class combined eight 12-inch guns with limited arcs, modest speed, and a construction schedule that left the last ship entering service beside much stronger contemporaries.