Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 45:21-47:18

Did King George V and Vanguard begin as battlecruisers?

A viewer raises design documents that used battlecruiser language for later British fast battleships.

Fast BattleshipsKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Lion Class BattleshipsRoyal NavyVanguardWarship Design
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Question

Were the King George V class and Vanguard originally regarded as battlecruisers?

Short answer

Early papers considered battlecruiser options, but King George V and Lion developed from battleship requirements, while Vanguard may have reached fast-battleship status from the opposite side.

Notes

Early concept papers explored several points on the capital-ship spectrum before requirements settled. The King George V and Lion classes moved from the battleship side toward fast-battleship solutions. Vanguard may have approached the same result from the battlecruiser side because of her spatial and structural origins. Contemporary officials nevertheless treated the completed design problem as one of battleships.