A County-class design at 14,000 tons standard is estimated at about 17,000 tons fully loaded. Retaining 8-inch guns could allow twelve weapons, perhaps even fifteen in five triple turrets. The extra displacement could instead support better armour, higher speed, or greater endurance. Those choices would widen the challenge for German ships because larger Washington limits benefit the treaty navies while German construction remains constrained separately.
Notable Point · 2:23:02-2:24:04
What a 14,000-ton County cruiser could carry
A larger County could carry twelve or fifteen 8-inch guns, or spend the extra displacement on protection, speed, or endurance.