Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:05:03-3:05:24

Replacing a wrecked Revenge under treaty rules

If Revenge were lost in 1932, treaty replacement rights would probably produce an evolved Nelson or Rodney rather than a wholly new design family.

BattleshipsHMS RevengeNaval TreatiesNelson Class BattleshipsRoyal NavyWarship Design
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Question

What would Britain build if HMS Revenge were wrecked in 1932 and treaty rules allowed a replacement?

Short answer

The Royal Navy would probably build an evolved Nelson- or Rodney-type battleship within the treaty replacement limits.

Notes

The treaty system allowed replacement tonnage when a qualifying capital ship was lost. The Royal Navy would therefore request and build a replacement within the applicable limits. Because Nelson and Rodney were the most recent British battleships in service, their design would provide the logical starting point. The result would be an improved derivative shaped by early-1930s machinery and construction practice rather than an exact repeat. Retaining 16-inch guns for this ship would keep that calibre in production and could reopen the gun choice for the subsequent King George V class.