Q&A · 1:51:23-1:52:29

The likely British battleship after Lion

British global commitments keep the post-Lion design fast even if the United States chooses slower Montanas.

Question

What would the British class after Lion look like if the United States built Montanas and there were no Second World War?

Short answer

Probably a roughly 30-knot enlarged Lion with four triple sixteen-inch turrets.

Notes

American battleships could accept lower speed because Pacific operations brought them toward the enemy or drew the enemy toward them. Britain had to respond across a global empire, so the successor would probably retain about 30 knots while adding a fourth triple sixteen-inch turret to match Montana's twelve-gun battery.