Refitting or retiring an ageing battlecruiser fleet

The refit work repeatedly runs into displacement, balance, protection, and speed limits. Increasing 13.5-inch weapons to 16.5 inches and adding modern protection can turn a modification into the equivalent of an almost entirely new ship. Some designs can be improved enough to justify the effort, while others should disappear as newer battleships and battlecruisers enter service. The emerging standard combines 16.5-inch main armament, increased survivability, and long-range fighting ability, with older hulls retired when they cannot accept the required changes.