H-class growth and treaty reporting

The H class had broadly comparable stated figures to the G class, yet its newer hull and streamlined superstructure performed better in practice. Treaty rules required each power to disclose a planned ship's waterline length, beam, mean draught, and standard displacement, then report those figures again on completion. Naval architects could test whether the declared dimensions and tonnage described a plausible design. The rules still allowed ambiguity through equipment that a ship was "fitted for" without carrying it at completion. During wartime, extra torpedoes, depth charges, and fuel could appear in spaces left outside the peacetime declaration.