The navy minister also submitted alternative uses for the reconstruction money, including three 10,000-ton treaty heavy cruisers and small 12,000-ton ships armed with either 203 mm or 305 mm guns. Under the Washington Naval Treaty definitions, the 305 mm option would count as a capital ship. The discussion treats it as a very light battlecruiser built around speed and firepower rather than protection. It could overwhelm ordinary cruisers but would have to outrun battleships and better-armored British battlecruisers. The example makes the cruiser-killer concept's tactical attraction and survivability risk clear.
Notable Point · 7:27-9:03
Free-tonnage battlecruiser alternative
An alternative use of the money suggests small, lightly protected ships with battleship guns, trading armor for speed and cruiser-killing power.