Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:26:18-1:26:41

Completing the Lord Nelson class after Dreadnought

Lord Nelson and Agamemnon themselves entered service after Dreadnought, showing how existing construction could outlast a sudden design revolution.

HMS DreadnoughtLord Nelson Class BattleshipsNaval ProcurementPre-DreadnoughtsRoyal Navy
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Question

Could a third Lord Nelson-class battleship have been completed while HMS Dreadnought was building?

Short answer

Yes. The two historical ships were themselves completed only after Dreadnought had entered service.

Notes

HMS Lord Nelson and Agamemnon were completed after HMS Dreadnought had already entered service. The arrival of the new battleship did not stop completion of those two pre-dreadnoughts. A hypothetical third Lord Nelson-class ship could likewise have been finished while Dreadnought was being built.