German fast battleships pressure British design

Germany cannot match the sheer quantity of capital-ship weapons available from Britain's large armament firms, so it needs a design distinction that forces a costly response. The German battlecruiser lineage could converge on a fast battleship instead of remaining a separate lightly armored type. About 26.5 knots offers a workable compromise between armor, firepower, and a useful speed advantage over conventional battleships. Britain can answer, but doing so requires a new generation of larger and faster capital ships.