Postwar navies inherited many recently built ships and older hulls worth refitting, which reduced pressure for entirely new surface combatants. The Royal Navy still operated Town-class cruisers with twelve 6-inch guns and Crown Colony-class ships with nine, even when some turrets normally remained in reserve. That existing gun-cruiser strength helps explain why the Tiger class should not be judged only by its small number of weapons. The Tigers chiefly served as technological test beds intended to shape a future cruiser generation.
Notable Point · 12:38-14:10
Inherited cruisers and Tiger-class test beds
Large inherited cruiser fleets reduced pressure for immediate replacement while the Tiger class tested technologies for the Royal Navy's next generation.