The Hawkins class loses its rationale because Tiger Cubs already provide a faster and more heavily armed answer to distant raiders. If the war still produces a Washington-style conference, negotiators cannot leave unlimited 20,000-ton cruisers outside capital-ship limits without making 35,000-ton battleships uneconomic. One possible treaty scheme sets separate limits for light cruisers, the new frigate or heavy-cruiser category, carriers, and larger capital ships. Britain and the United States receive roughly comparable allocations, while Japan accepts a lower ratio.
Chapter · 2:00:31-2:11:55
Tiger Cubs rewrite postwar cruiser and treaty categories
An established 20,000-ton, 9.2-inch cruiser category displaces the Hawkins class and forces any arms treaty to regulate a powerful middle tier.