The tables preserved speculative designs and an evolving destroyer role

The hitting tables give the Queen Elizabeth class both 15-inch and 16-inch figures. The dual figures may show that the class served as a baseline for other designs under consideration. The same pages still use the older torpedo-boat-destroyer description for W-class ships. By 1929, destroyers were increasingly expected to conduct independent operations and attack heavier forces themselves. The terminology had not yet caught up fully with the role, while the staff also used the broad label heavy ships for capital units. This technical manual preserves unbuilt design choices and a change in naval classification that a battle narrative could easily miss.