What if Britain had completed a second Admiral-class ship and omitted it from the naval treaties?
Short answerIt would be an intelligence disaster, but it could also strengthen the case for higher treaty tonnage limits and alter later capital-ship designs.
NotesA concealed second Admiral-class ship would embarrass naval intelligence services and the British government. Two oversized British battlecruisers would also strengthen the Royal Navy's case for a limit above 40,000 tons, with roughly 44,000 tons mentioned as its preference. Using 40,000 tons for fifteen ships would produce an aggregate allowance of 600,000 tons instead of 525,000. In this counterfactual, Nelson and Rodney gain design room, and the King George V class is imagined with twelve 14-inch guns. The discussion then considers Iowas closer to fast Montanas. Although war would eventually remove treaty obligations, earlier limits would already have shaped design assumptions and infrastructure.