Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:05:54-2:07:06

How would Queen Elizabeth change after a 15-inch Tiger?

The likely alternatives are an eight-gun 28-knot Queen Elizabeth or a longer ten-gun ship at roughly 26 knots.

15-inch GunsFast BattleshipsHMS Tiger (1913)Queen Elizabeth Class BattleshipsSmall Tube BoilersWarship Modernisation
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Question

If Tiger already carried eight 15-inch guns, what armament and speed would the Queen Elizabeth class adopt?

Short answer

Probably either eight guns at about 28 knots or ten guns at about 26 knots, using small-tube boilers and familiar twin turrets.

Notes

With Tiger already introducing 15-inch guns, Queen Elizabeth could use small-tube boilers to seek greater speed. One proposed design retains eight guns and aims for 28 knots. The alternative adds a fifth twin turret for ten guns at about 26 knots. The ten-gun ship would be longer, altering its length-to-beam ratio. It would also offer a possible interwar reconstruction route: removing a turret to obtain more speed, as in the Italian example raised here.