Q&A · 1:58:28-2:00:48

Fisher with future design histories builds a frightening Dreadnought

Future technical knowledge could steer Fisher toward higher-pressure boilers, superfiring triple turrets, heavier guns, and much greater speed.

Question

What might Jacky Fisher build in 1904 if given Norman Friedman's naval design books?

Short answer

A later and much more ambitious Dreadnought using advanced boilers, superfiring triple turrets, heavy guns, and battlecruiser speed.

Notes

The counterfactual depends on selecting technologies that were physically achievable in the 1900s rather than importing finished later hardware. Future design histories tell Fisher which boiler pressures, gun-making techniques, triple turrets, and superfiring arrangements are worth pursuing. The first Dreadnought might arrive in 1907 rather than 1906, but it could combine 14-inch guns with roughly 28-knot speed. Once that benchmark existed, Fisher would know that later battleships could exceed thirty knots and would direct research toward the enabling technologies.