Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:00:00-3:01:13

Why cheaper N3s misunderstand battleship cost

Engines made fast battlecruisers costlier than slower battleships, while the Revenge class was cheap for a specific political reason.

G3 Class BattlecruisersN3 Class BattleshipsNaval ProcurementQueen Elizabeth Class BattleshipsRevenge Class BattleshipsWarship Design
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Question

Why would the Royal Navy not build a cheaper version of the N3 battleship?

Short answer

Because the slower N3 was already cheaper than the machinery-intensive G3; the special economy logic behind the Revenge class did not automatically apply.

Notes

The N3's armour and guns were not the main cost problem in this comparison. High-power machinery made the G3 battlecruiser more expensive than the slower N3. The rough estimate offered is that four N3s could cost about as much as two and a half G3s, undermining the proposed need for a special cheaper N3 design. The Revenge class is explained through a different political constraint: the 'we want eight' campaign forced a larger programme on the Treasury. The Treasury then required the cheapest workable 15-inch battleships and threatened future budgets if the Navy ordered more Queen Elizabeths.