Q&A · 1:33:48-1:35:17

Replacing battlecruisers in a no-treaty fleet

A replacement-cycle answer shows why speed alone would not guarantee long service once new battlecruiser generations appeared.

Question

In a no-treaty building program, would Hood, Renown, and Repulse outlast the Revenge-class battleships?

Short answer

Probably not; after the G3s and later battlecruisers enter service, the older fast ships may be retired in the third or fourth replacement batch while the Queen Elizabeth class remains useful against standard battleships.

Notes

The scenario assumes the Royal Navy would not want an unlimited battlecruiser inventory. New G3s and their successors would therefore displace Hood, Renown, Repulse, and Tiger once foreign responses made the older ships less credible. The slower Queen Elizabeth class could survive longer if it still matched the standard battleships it was expected to fight, illustrating how role and opponent matter more than a simple age ranking.