Even older Italian capital ships become serious deterrents when local Allied forces are reduced to cruisers and smaller units. A cruiser cannot casually challenge the fifteen-inch guns of a First World War-era battleship simply because that battleship is old. A rough calculation gives Japan about eight battleships available, while Britain might have 12 or 13 and send roughly nine east. That leaves about four British battleships for home and Mediterranean duties, with two French battleships available at the other end of the Mediterranean. The Royal Navy might retain R-class ships, unrefitted Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, and possibly Furious or Hermes, while Nelson and Rodney are more useful against Japan. The local Allied fleet would still be an improvised remainder rather than the preferred force. Dividing a finite capital-ship force among the Far East, home waters, and the Mediterranean carries a heavy strategic cost.
Notable Point · 42:40-47:49
The remaining Mediterranean capital ships
With the strongest British units sent east, the Mediterranean contest depends on older British and French battleships facing an Italian battle fleet that is suddenly harder to ignore.
BattleshipsCapital ShipsFleet ConcentrationFrench NavyGerman Surface RaidersHMS FuriousHMS HermesHMS MalayaHMS NelsonHMS Queen ElizabethHMS RodneyHMS WarspiteItalian NavyJapanese NavyMediterranean TheatreNaval BalanceNelson Class BattleshipsQueen Elizabeth Class BattleshipsRevenge Class BattleshipsRoyal NavyScharnhorst Class Battleships