Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 5:40-5:58

Was the Hawkins class the Royal Navy's Bearn?

The Hawkins class was considered but did not reach the strongest British examples under the episode's self-defeating-design test.

Hawkins Class Heavy CruisersHeavy CruisersNaval Ship DesignRoyal Navy
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

Was the Hawkins class the Royal Navy's equivalent of Bearn?

Short answer

No. It was considered, but it did not make the Royal Navy's top three examples.

Notes

The Hawkins class was considered but did not reach the Royal Navy's top three. The ranking is not a catalogue of every imperfect ship, because it asks whether features intended to improve a role instead obstructed it. Hawkins had weaknesses without displacing the stronger British candidates. A familiar flawed class can therefore be omitted without being judged a good design.