A faster Nelson pair could operate with modernized Queen Elizabeths and battlecruisers instead of anchoring the slow division. A roughly 28-knot battle line would be tactically attractive, but it would expose the R class as ships unable to keep pace. Britain might then accelerate replacements or accept that five nominal capital ships no longer counted in the main battle fleet, shrinking a paper force of fifteen toward an effective ten. The change therefore affects force structure and diplomatic perceptions as much as the performance of Nelson and Rodney themselves.
Notable Point · 1:05:11-1:08:20
How faster Nelsons would reshape the Royal Navy battle line
Raising Nelson and Rodney to about 28 knots creates a fast battle line but risks making the five R-class battleships strategically marginal.