Ships laid down by the end of 1918 would become replaceable from 1934, while ships laid down from 1919 through 1922 would follow from 1936. Pre-1914 ships armed with 14-inch guns or smaller could be replaced from 1926, but ships carrying larger guns would wait until 1930. The schedule therefore phases renewal by laying-down date and armament rather than imposing one blanket age rule. Its purpose is to give each cohort roughly twenty years of service while preserving a predictable path to replacement.
Chapter · 36:59-38:24
A replacement calendar built around service life
The proposed schedule phases replacement by laying-down date and gun caliber instead of imposing a blanket building holiday.