Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 45:24-47:49

A Royal Navy built around four Admiral-class ships

If Jutland spared the battlecruisers and all four Admirals were completed, treaty bargaining and deployment would revolve around balanced capital-ship squadrons.

Admiral Class BattlecruisersBattlecruisersFleet DeploymentRoyal NavyWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

How might Royal Navy force structure change if the Jutland battlecruisers survived and all four Admiral-class ships were built?

Short answer

Britain would press to retain a large battlecruiser squadron and organize its capital ships for home, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean service.

Notes

Britain could retain four Admirals, Renown and Repulse, the Queen Elizabeths, and the R class while seeking new 16-inch ships. American pressure for treaty totals divisible by five could alter the settlement and encourage Britain to retain another older capital ship. The resulting fleet could form separate battle squadrons for home and Mediterranean waters. Its battlecruisers could then be divided between the Home Fleet and Indian Ocean, turning treaty arithmetic into a plan for global deployment.