The proposed cruisers could use yards equipped for ships of about 16,000 tons. That gives Britain more places to put cruiser orders than it had for the larger historical battlecruisers, some of which outweighed battleships. Repeated cruiser batches would therefore be less dependent on the most capable slips. The choice changes both how many cruisers could be ordered and what Britain could build in the yards freed for other work.
Notable Point · 36:29-37:05
Which yards could build a 16,000-ton cruiser?
A smaller cruiser would open orders to more British yards and change what the largest slips could build.