In this framework, a fast battleship must keep pace with its fleet's cruiser line, about 28 knots for the period. The Queen Elizabeth class could match the older cruiser line envisioned when it was specified, but not the faster line in service by the time the design matured. Yamato's 27-knot speed likewise leaves the class below the threshold, especially alongside the Japanese Navy's faster cruisers. Later capital ships therefore occupy points on a spectrum, with G3 edging toward the fast-battleship side without crossing it. A class name or one armour figure cannot settle the classification by itself.
Notable Point · 18:38-21:43
Cruiser-line speed sets the fast-battleship threshold
Cruiser-line speed makes fast battleship a role-based standard, leaving the Queen Elizabeth and Yamato classes short of the threshold used here.