How Tiger and Leopard could lead to a 15-inch King George V

If both Tiger-class battlecruisers were built, when would they retire and what might replace them?

They might go in the early 1930s and prompt an earlier fast battleship resembling King George V but armed with nine 15-inch guns.

Tiger and Leopard would become early candidates for disposal once treaty tonnage and replacement funding were available. Their presence would also affect the Washington negotiations, where Britain might press for a larger retained tonnage allowance. Replacing them in the early 1930s could start the next fast-battleship design before the 14-inch policy became dominant under Chatfield. Frederick Field's preference for firepower and logistical sense would favour the improved 15-inch weapon. The likely result is a King George V-like hull with three triple 15-inch turrets, although the choice between an all-forward and a conventional two-forward-one-aft layout remains open.