Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:10:06-1:10:18

The displacement cost of a fully armed, better-armoured Admiral

Keeping the Admiral class's original armament while incorporating the desired armour changes is estimated to add at least 5,000 tons.

Admiral Class BattlecruisersBattlecruisersDeck ArmourNaval InfrastructureWarship Design
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Question

How much larger would an Admiral-class battlecruiser need to be to retain the original armament and carry the improved armour?

Short answer

At least about 5,000 tons larger.

Notes

The proposed redesign tries to retain the original heavy weapon fit while also incorporating the armour improvements associated with Hood's development. Doing both would add at least 5,000 tons. The answer is a displacement estimate rather than a complete design study, but it makes clear that protection and armament could not be increased without enlarging the ship and its support burden.