What if the Lion-class battlecruisers had been oil-fired only?
Short answerThey would be faster, Tiger would likely follow, and their postwar retention case would become much stronger.
NotesOil firing would raise the speed and practical value of the Lion-class battlecruisers. HMS Tiger would probably follow the same machinery choice if the earlier class established it. Faster, more useful ships would strengthen the strategic argument for retaining them after the First World War. The propulsion decision therefore carries consequences beyond fuel into fleet composition and treaty-era survival.