F3 battlecruisers as a treaty alternative

Should Britain have built fast protected battlecruisers instead of Nelson and Rodney?

The F3 studies came close to that idea, offering a strong forward battery and useful protection, though at about 30 rather than 32 knots.

A proposed force of protected, fast capital ships resembles the real F3 studies more than an entirely new concept. The design concentrated nine 15-inch guns forward, combined them with roughly 30 knots, and retained useful protection within treaty-era constraints. Such ships could form a reaction force against Kongos, surface raiders, and carriers. They would also reduce the operational burden placed on Hood and create more opportunities to refit the Royal Navy's only historical fast capital ship.