Kongō's interwar rebuilds added enough subdivision to place some of the class close to, or just across, the boundary into fast-battleship territory. Modernization can move a ship along the spectrum without making historical labels meaningless. Hood and the Admiral-class lineage provide the Royal Navy comparison: later protection ambitions became so expensive that building new ships offered a cleaner answer. In this classification, the planned G3 class remains a battlecruiser despite its improved machinery and formidable capability. The label depends on the entire design and its development history rather than speed alone.
Notable Point · 34:43-37:44
Modernization can move a ship without erasing its lineage
Kongō, Hood, the Admiral-class lineage, and the G3 design illustrate why classification follows protection and development history rather than speed alone.