The counterfactual begins with Italy pressing to complete at least the launched Francesco Caracciolo within Washington displacement limits. The ship could have replaced an older, less capable battleship while giving the Regia Marina a stronger 1920s baseline. Its design experience might then have informed the Littorio class instead of forcing Italy to leap from older predecessors. The missed completion could have affected interwar fleet strength and later design development. This assessment does not imply that the historical Littorios were poor ships.
Notable Point · 23:56-26:00
The case for completing Francesco Caracciolo
Completing one Francesco Caracciolo-class battleship could have strengthened Italy's interwar fleet and influenced the design baseline for the Littorio class.