The ships under construction combine 30-to-34-knot speed with very heavy armour and 15- to 16.5-inch guns. Their secondary batteries are also unusually large, so speed has not been purchased by stripping away every other capability. The designs mark the point at which a battlecruiser force has effectively become a fast-battleship force. The comparison shows how armour, armament, and speed together determine a capital ship's practical role.
Notable Point · 7:41-8:36
From battlecruiser to fast battleship
A look at the campaign’s very fast, heavily armed capital ships prompts a distinction between battlecruisers and fast battleships.