Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 24:23-24:51

Why Hood was not simply the first fast battleship

Hood's resemblance to Revenge in length-to-beam ratio does not make the Admiral class a direct precursor of later British fast battleships.

BattlecruisersBattleshipsRoyal NavyShip Design
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Question

Why is the Admiral class not treated as the first step toward Royal Navy fast battleships?

Short answer

Hood was a battlecruiser, while the King George V class had a different hull form and Vanguard was a distinct one-off fast battleship.

Notes

Hood's length-to-beam ratio is compared with Revenge's, but similar proportions do not establish a common design lineage. Hood belonged to the Admiral-class battlecruiser program. The King George V class had a very different hull form, while Vanguard was a one-off fast battleship. Neither establishes a straightforward design progression from Hood.