Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:57:58-1:58:24

What the 20-knot sloop rule actually limited

The treaty definition constrained a sloop's designed speed to 20 knots, although turbine-powered ships could exceed that figure in service.

Convoy EscortNaval ProcurementSloopsWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Were treaty-exempt sloops strictly unable to exceed 20 knots?

Short answer

Their designed speed could not exceed 20 knots. Turbine-powered ships could still run faster than that in practice.

Notes

The treaty category limited a sloop's designed speed to 20 knots. Many turbine-powered ships could run faster in practice because the formal design figure governed the category rather than the highest speed achieved. A vessel could therefore comply with the rule and still exceed 20 knots in service. The distinction concerns the design specification used for classification.