How would rivals respond to 28-knot Nelsons and Queen Elizabeths plus faster Hood and Renown classes?
Short answerThey would pursue faster ships and heavier turret arrangements, escalating machinery, armament, and infrastructure costs.
NotesA Royal Navy with numerous 28-knot capital ships would push rival navies to increase their own speeds. British adoption of triple turrets could also encourage American, Japanese, and Italian designers to follow. For Germany, matching a Queen Elizabeth with twelve 15-inch guns in four triple turrets and a speed of 28 knots would require new guns, a new turret, faster machinery, and supporting infrastructure. The combined demands are judged severe enough to threaten German capacity to compete in 1912.