Article 16 allowed the United States 180,000 tons of cruisers armed above 6.1 inches and the British Commonwealth 146,800 tons. Thirteen County cruisers accounted for about 130,000 tons. The Hawkins class added roughly another 50,000 tons, and the Yorks sat on top of that total. The force could exceed the paper ceiling because over-age vessels remained temporarily allowable while the fleet drew down. Retaining them preserved hull numbers, but it postponed the larger modernisation problem.
Chapter · 5:34-8:02
Heavy-cruiser tonnage and over-age allowances
The British Commonwealth's 146,800-ton heavy-cruiser ceiling sat alongside roughly 180,000 tons of County and Hawkins ships before the Yorks were counted.