Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 5:26:02-5:28:26

A temporary 40 percent speed boost for the Royal Navy

Five temporary speed boosts would let older British capital ships reach engagements and pursue faster opponents.

Alternate HistoryBattle of Cape MatapanHMS WarspiteNorwegian CampaignRoyal Navy
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Question

What if every Royal Navy ship received five temporary 40 percent engine boosts in 1939?

Short answer

British capital ships could reach engagements sooner and catch opponents that relied on speed to escape.

Notes

The World of Warships-style premise gives each Royal Navy ship five occasions on which it can travel 40 percent faster, with no equivalent benefit for its opponents. A 25-knot battleship would temporarily reach 35 knots. During the Norwegian campaign, that could let Warspite get into position to support Renown against Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Gneisenau would also have much greater difficulty escaping Rodney. At Matapan, the same advantage would help British ships close the distance to their opponents.