Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 34:42-35:53

A 1936 fast battleship using Nelson's 16-inch guns

Retained Nelson-class tooling could support a nine-gun fast battleship on a King George V-related hull if Britain started early enough.

BattleshipsKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Naval ProcurementNelson Class Battleships
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Question

Could Britain have built a fast 16-inch battleship in 1936 using Nelson-class resources?

Short answer

Yes, retained turret tooling could support a nine-gun design related to the King George V hull if funded early.

Notes

The proposal uses more than spare weapons: it relies on retained turret templates, models and industrial knowledge. Nine updated 16-inch guns could be carried forward in a fast hull with a Nelson-like concentration of armament. Beginning in 1936 could make the programme plausible, though it would demand real money and engineering effort. Stored tooling can preserve strategic options between ship generations.