How would Washington Treaty Dominion flagships change Royal Navy force generation and a possible Force Z deployment?
Short answerSeveral modern Dominion battlecruisers would reduce wear on British ships, provide fast assets for distant operations, and strengthen the hunt for German surface raiders even if Force Z itself drew on Pacific forces.
NotesA small carrier could serve as a prestigious Dominion flagship, although the original counterfactual follows a battlecruiser route. Six modern F3-style ships would ease the interwar burden on the Royal Navy's own battlecruisers and place fast capital ships near likely wartime tasks. The notional design combines about 28 knots with nine 15-inch/50 guns and dense subdivision. Raising C turret rather than B turret produces a longer arrangement, with somewhat less armour than Nelson but similarly dense subdivision in some areas. A Force Z deployment could then draw on ships already in the Pacific instead of meeting every requirement from the same British pool. In the Atlantic, these ships' heavier gunfire could threaten Scharnhorst-class raiders armed with 11-inch guns, although German protection and subdivision complicate a one-to-one comparison. The Royal Navy's preference for hunting in groups would make local numerical superiority more likely. Its emphasis on night action provided another way to avoid an even engagement.