The pre-Fisher Royal Navy could use elderly ships for low-threat presence because their age made them visibly non-provocative. Admiral Jacky Fisher's economy drive removed many of those station hulls and emphasized occasional roving visits by Invincible-class battlecruisers. Their long hulls, high speed, and battleship-caliber guns made them look especially formidable to foreign observers. Their armor coverage and subdivision were less reassuring in a fleet engagement, but diplomatic spectacle depended on visible size and armament rather than later historical knowledge of their vulnerability.
Chapter · 22:14-25:10
Fisher replaces old presence ships with spectacle
After disposing of old overseas hulls, Admiral Fisher favored fast, imposing battlecruisers whose size and battleship guns made roving diplomatic statements.