Older dreadnoughts could still guard convoys

Could Britain have found a useful Second World War role for older capital ships?

Not likely for pre-dreadnoughts, but retained 13.5-inch dreadnoughts could escort convoys and deter German raiders ordered to avoid damage.

True pre-dreadnoughts were unlikely to remain in British service into the Second World War. A treaty environment that preserved more dreadnoughts, however, might leave 13.5-inch-gun ships such as the Orion or Iron Duke classes available for convoy escort. They would not need to defeat Scharnhorst and Gneisenau outright to be useful. German raiders operated under orders to avoid damage, so the presence of a maintained capital ship with modern fire control could force them to break contact. An Iron Duke might lose a sustained single-ship battle, but the risk of receiving serious damage still gives it deterrent value around a convoy.