Renown and Repulse became a pair, but they were designed while the Royal Navy still expected additional battlecruisers, including the Admiral class. Nelson and Rodney were knowingly built as Britain's only two 16-inch battleships for many years. That scarcity encouraged a heavier-protected, slower solution because there would be no larger squadron of similar ships to distribute the role. The comparison shows why judging a design requires asking what follow-on construction its planners expected.
Notable Point · 1:05:40-1:06:26
How a two-ship class distorted the Nelson design compromise
The Nelsons are contrasted with Renown and Repulse to show how expected class size shapes speed and protection choices.