Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:30:23-1:30:42

A slow Japanese Nelson becomes a home-islands battleship

A Japanese-built Nelson derivative would be too slow for the carrier striking force and would spend much of the war defending the home islands.

BattleshipsHome FleetImperial Japanese NavyNelson Class BattleshipsWarship Design
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Question

How would Japan use a Nelson-derived battleship if it entered the Second World War?

Short answer

Its low speed would keep it away from fast carrier operations and make defense of the Japanese home islands its most likely role.

Notes

The ship has a poor survival outlook because a capital ship that sees frequent combat accumulates risk quickly. Its more immediate limitation is speed. If the export design retains Nelson's performance, it cannot operate comfortably with Japan's fast carrier forces. The Navy would therefore be likely to hold it near the home islands, where it functions as a powerful but strategically constrained battleship.