A port with a 5,000-ton capacity cannot build a battleship, so the campaign turns to a smaller cruiser intended for mine warfare. Mines compete with armour, weapons, beam, draught, and displacement as the design is revised. The first complete concept reaches 8,500 tons and 24 knots, closer to an early heavy destroyer than a light cruiser that the port can build. Further weight cuts produce a roughly 4,000-ton version armed with two-inch guns. The low unit size also raises the prospect of ordering these ships in useful numbers. Throughout the revisions, laying minefields remains the mission that defines the design.
Chapter · 52:08-1:11:50
Designing light cruisers for mine warfare
Port limits and mine-laying requirements push the campaign toward a compact, fast light-cruiser design rather than another battleship.