The argument does not treat Tillman or the maximum battleships as visionary. Their value lies in the relatively unfettered question he forced the Navy to consider, especially the feasible core of Tillman III. The international contest is interpreted as increasingly qualitative and technological: possessing the biggest and best ships could matter more than counting a larger number of slower ones. Whatever Tillman’s political motivation, pressing for fast, well-armoured, heavily armed battleships helped pose the design problem that later navies would solve as the fast battleship.
Chapter · 33:44-37:19
A qualitative naval race points toward the fast battleship
Tillman is not presented as a naval-design visionary, but his demand for the largest useful ship forced attention onto a qualitative competition in speed, protection, and firepower.