Gas turbines transform interwar capital-ship reconstructions

Warspite's earlier reconstruction likely misses the technology, but later rebuilds could replace dozens of boilers with eight compact units. Queen Elizabeth and Valiant might approach 28 knots, while Renown could retain or improve her speed with much less machinery weight and fewer engineering personnel. Turbo-electric drive would lose some energy in conversion but allow much more flexible distribution. Separated generators feeding a shipwide power ring would allow surviving machinery rooms to power any shaft and preserve redundancy after damage. Smaller machinery spaces and longitudinal bulkheads could help separate generating units and limit the spread of damage.