Q&A ยท 1:19:40-1:20:58

A 120,000-ton British battleship under expanded treaty limits

How gun layout, speed, and supporting infrastructure would constrain an intentionally oversized British battleship.

Question

What might Britain build under an enormously expanded battleship tonnage limit?

Short answer

A roughly 120,000-ton, 30-knot ship with six triple 16-inch turrets, backed by enlarged infrastructure.

Notes

Under the exaggerated treaty allowance, a roughly 120,000-ton battleship is presented as a more plausible upper limit than a 350,000-ton ship. The suggested design carries six triple 16-inch turrets and aims for about 30 knots. Even at that smaller size, Britain would need new infrastructure to build, base, and maintain it. The exercise shows that a generous paper allowance does not remove the physical limits imposed by weapons, machinery, dockyards, and support facilities.