The Indefatigable type could make about 25.88 knots and steam roughly 6,700 nautical miles at 10 knots. Lion raised speed to about 27.5 knots but reduced the quoted range to about 5,610 nautical miles at the same cruising speed. The figures expose the design choice behind the procurement: the Dominion could retain more endurance or buy a faster ship with a larger main battery for peer combat. Because Australia was buying a flagship and status asset, that exchange mattered more than a simple comparison of purchase price.
Notable Point · 6:46-7:49
What Lion traded in range for speed and gunpower
Lion gained about 1.6 knots over the Indefatigable type while giving up roughly 1,100 nautical miles of range at 10 knots, a trade that favored a flagship built to fight peer battlecruisers.