A 1,400-day building allowance would bring Prince of Wales forward by a little under three months and Duke of York by a little over five months. Prince of Wales would enter service in November 1940, allowing more time to work up and address gun problems before the demands of 1941. Extending the same assumption to Anson produces a scenario with four worked-up King George V-class battleships available before Bismarck could commission. That force could reduce dependence on Hood and Rodney during the Bismarck chase. Even completing only the first three would create enough additional fast-ship capacity to make Hood's major refit more practical. More ships in service would also provide more opportunities to identify and remedy problems in the class. Extra modern hulls would create deployment, maintenance, and concentration options.
Notable Point · 17:01-20:15
Earlier King George V-class battleships change the Bismarck problem
Earlier readiness for Prince of Wales, Duke of York, and Anson could give Britain four worked-up King George V-class battleships before Bismarck entered service.