Q&A · 39:23-39:41

Oil-fired Lions strengthen the case for postwar retention

Oil-only Lion-class battlecruisers would be faster, make Tiger oil-fired as well, and become harder for Britain to discard after the First World War.

Question

What if the Lion-class battlecruisers had been oil-fired only?

Short answer

They would be faster, Tiger would likely follow, and their postwar retention case would become much stronger.

Notes

Oil 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.