Q&A ยท 1:52:22-1:52:42

Agincourt could redirect the Revenge class

A successful 18-inch Agincourt could encourage some slower Revenge-class ships to repeat its heavy armament instead of following the historical design.

Question

Would the Revenge class be built historically if an 18-inch Agincourt already existed?

Short answer

Some ships might instead copy Agincourt's 18-inch armament, potentially giving the Royal Navy three such capital ships.

Notes

A completed Agincourt would give Britain a working 18-inch capital-ship precedent before the next wartime construction choices. Some Revenge-class hulls might repeat that armament. Their lower speed would remain, but the larger guns could be treated as the compensating advantage. The Royal Navy might then have three 18-inch-gun ships rather than one isolated experiment.