Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:21:23-3:22:26

What a 16,000-ton treaty cruiser looks like

A higher cruiser limit produces enlarged Counties with twelve eight-inch guns and enough armour to dominate treaty-era German pocket battleships.

Armour ProtectionCounty Class CruisersDeutschland Class CruisersHeavy CruisersNaval GunneryWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

How would the major navies develop cruisers if the treaty limit were 16,000 tons?

Short answer

Britain could build an enlarged County with twelve eight-inch guns and much better armour, creating a severe mismatch for historically constrained Deutschlands.

Notes

Britain would likely enlarge the County concept rather than invent an entirely different cruiser. If guns remain limited to eight inches, four triple turrets and a roughly six-inch belt become plausible on 16,000 tons. A Deutschland-class ship still constrained by its historical limits would then face twelve eight-inch guns rather than six 11-inch guns on equal terms. The exchange demonstrates how changing one treaty ceiling can upset the balance among several ship categories.