Q&A · 2:10:39-2:11:18

Replacing the R class with more Queen Elizabeths

A larger Queen Elizabeth fleet encourages faster interwar rebuilds while revealing useful protection features of the R class.

Question

What if the R-class battleships had instead been additional Queen Elizabeth-class ships?

Short answer

Britain would likely modernize a larger fast fleet more aggressively, although the best design would retain the R class's armor distribution.

Notes

More Queen Elizabeth-class ships would give the Royal Navy a larger homogeneous fast force and make aggressive machinery modernization more attractive, perhaps producing 26-knot rebuilds. The R class distributed armor well, so the ideal alternative combines Queen Elizabeth machinery space with Revenge-class protection.