The design critique contrasts Churchill's success with the Queen Elizabeth class against his acceptance of the Revenge, or R-class, battleships. He had pushed oil fuel, security arrangements, and the wider political effort needed to get the Queen Elizabeths approved, which makes the cheaper follow-on design hard to justify. Work on the Queen Elizabeths began in 1911 before they were laid down in 1912, while work on the R class began in 1912 before their 1913 laying down. Both programs were therefore Churchill-era choices rather than an inherited contrast. More battleships were desirable, but the chosen follow-on sacrificed too much after the Queen Elizabeth class had established a better standard.
Chapter · 5:51-8:09
From Queen Elizabeth ambition to R-class compromise
Churchill pushed through the oil-fired Queen Elizabeth class, then accepted the markedly less capable R class.