Q&A · 2:39:42-2:40:43

Would a faster Revenge class become much heavier?

Adding machinery for a higher speed would leave Revenge close to Queen Elizabeth displacement rather than create an entirely different scale of ship.

Question

If the Revenge class had extra turbo machinery and boilers for higher speed, would it weigh about the same as a Queen Elizabeth?

Short answer

It would probably be slightly heavier, but still close because the two classes already had similar deep-load displacements.

Notes

Extra boilers and turbine machinery would make a faster Revenge-class battleship somewhat heavier, but probably keep it around the low-to-mid 33,000-ton range. The existing Revenge and Queen Elizabeth classes were already remarkably close in deep-load displacement. Revenge accepted lower speed while using its weight for a stronger armor distribution that was closer to an all-or-nothing scheme. The two designs differed mainly in how they spent similar weight rather than occupying separate size categories.