Why one navy’s cruiser differs from another’s

The closing argument returns to the problem of names and categories, using HMS Unicorn’s role as a forward aviation support ship rather than a conventional fleet carrier as a clear comparison. Navies do not build a cruiser in the abstract; they build a fleet to perform particular missions in a particular order of priority. Because those missions vary by country, ships carrying the same label can have very different layouts, protection, and employment. The County class makes more sense when judged against Royal Navy priorities than against a universal statistical template for the heavy cruiser.