Japan's Number 13 design enters this scenario with eight 18-inch guns. British L3-type ships provide a comparison with nine 18-inch guns and even their slower 26-knot option. Against an American standard battle line described as making about 21 knots, that five-knot advantage permits greater control over the range, angle, and timing of an engagement. Continued construction of Lexingtons, Colorados, and other large American ships would therefore not settle the problem of relative obsolescence. A later naval agreement remains possible, perhaps in the mid-1930s, as governments reconsider further construction. Number 13's exact speed is left uncertain, with figures between 28 and 30 knots discussed.
Notable Point · 1:29:07-1:31:51
Number 13 and L3 designs against American standard battleships
Faster ships with 18-inch guns could change engagement control and make a later arms agreement attractive.