A more capable Nelson-class design through the F3 alternative

If you could redesign the Nelson class before it was laid down, what would you change?

Choose the F3 alternative, with 15-inch/50 guns, a third shaft, and substantially higher speed rather than the historical arrangement.

The answer selects the F3 alternative rather than trying to incrementally repair the historical Nelson design. Its battery of 15-inch/50 guns preserves heavy striking power without the historical arrangement's exact compromises. A third shaft and a cited peacetime speed near 29 knots would make the ship much more mobile than the 23-knot Nelsons. Choosing a coherent alternative design before construction is presented as more effective than correcting one inherited weakness at a time.