What the Naval Defence Act actually delivered

The programme delivered ten battleships and thirty-nine protected cruisers, fewer than the seventy ships initially promised but still a large and capable force. The mix comprised nine first-class, twenty-one second-class, and nine third-class protected cruisers, so expenditure did not concentrate on battleships. HMS Renown and the Majestic class sit just beyond the Act's core list as closely following orders that extended the construction sequence. That distinction matters when comparing the original promise with the ships directly delivered under the programme. A missed headline total could still reshape the fleet's scale and balance.