Q&A · 1:01:45-1:03:09

Small-tube oil boilers before World War I

A propulsion answer uses Italian, British, Queen Elizabeth, and Courageous-class examples to place small-tube oil boilers in the early-1910s design window.

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Question

When did small-tube oil boilers become viable for warships?

Short answer

Reliable viability arrived around 1913-1914, with earlier British interest constrained more by industry confidence than by total technical impossibility.

Notes

Small-tube oil boilers were clearly viable for major warships by 1913-1914, though British designers had shown interest earlier. Their development could change capital-ship layout, speed, and alternate design paths before and during World War I.