Q&A · 30:43-31:55

How surviving battlecruisers might have changed the Admiral class

If the Royal Navy's battlecruisers had not exploded at Jutland, fewer design revisions might have allowed two or three Admiral-class ships to be completed before the armistice.

Question

What changes if the Royal Navy's battlecruisers do not explode at Jutland?

Short answer

The Admiral class might have suffered fewer delays, allowing two or three ships to complete and changing the fast-fleet balance before the Washington Treaty.

Notes

The losses at Jutland drove extensive reconsideration of battlecruiser protection. Without them, Hood might still have received substantial armour, but the other Admirals could have avoided some of the delays and repeated alterations. A force of several Admirals alongside the Renowns would have created a much stronger fast squadron. That larger completed force would then influence the bargaining positions and tonnage calculations at Washington.