Q&A · 2:50:29-2:52:09

Building fast six-inch cruisers for overseas stations

A 1907 cruiser programme should prioritize fast ships with eight six-inch guns and heavy torpedo batteries to replace obsolete vessels on distant stations.

Question

What should the Royal Navy build under a revised 1907 programme if battleships and battlecruisers are excluded?

Short answer

Build numerous fast cruisers with four twin six-inch turrets and strong torpedo armament for overseas stations, alongside continued destroyer construction.

Notes

Without adding battleships or battlecruisers, the 1907 programme would invest in destroyers and large, powerful cruisers. The proposed cruiser carries four twin six-inch turrets, makes high speed and mounts a strong torpedo battery. Producing the type in numbers would replace older ships on foreign stations with a standardised modern force. At Coronel, four or five such cruisers might still face superior German gun power, but their speed, six-inch volume and ability to close for a torpedo attack would give the British squadron a credible path to victory.