The altered Washington settlement makes a later London Naval Treaty harder to write because the signatories are already near their tonnage ceilings and many historically scrapped ships are absent. Cutting old units to reach lower numerical ratios could create legal room for modern replacements. Retiring the five Royal Sovereigns along with Renown and Repulse would remove seven British hulls yet release enough tonnage for roughly five new fast capital ships. A continued building holiday may therefore restrain construction more effectively than a lower numerical limit.
Chapter · 54:34-58:42
The London Treaty risks triggering a new building spree
With most expendable ships already gone, reducing fleet numbers in 1930 could release enough replacement tonnage to stimulate new fast-capital-ship construction.