The counterfactual asks how the Iowa class might have been described if the more heavily armed and protected Montana class had entered service. In that fleet, the Iowas' combination of speed and relative protection might have made them look like battlecruisers beside the Montanas. The same question applies to the G3 designs as their reputation evolves toward the Second World War. Warship classification is relational as well as technical: a ship's label depends on doctrine, historical memory, and the other capital ships available.
Notable Point · 24:42-25:23
Would the Iowa class look like battlecruisers beside Montana?
An Iowa-Montana counterfactual shows that labels such as battlecruiser and fast battleship depend partly on the fleet context around a ship.