Why a 36-knot battle line breaks escort-speed logic

What would happen to the screen if the battle line could make 36 knots?

Preserving the historical speed relationships would imply roughly 48-knot cruisers and 54-knot destroyers, forcing severe size, machinery, and cost compromises.

A hypothetical 36-knot battle line would push its cruiser screen toward 48 knots under the rough speed relationship used here. Destroyers would then need perhaps another six knots to scout ahead, implying roughly 54 knots. Those figures illustrate how preserving traditional relative speeds would become impractical. Achieving such speeds would require compromises or an exceptionally large and expensive ship.