Small improvements in hull balance and machinery allow the original battleships to be refitted rather than discarded. Better engine efficiency permits a funnel to be removed, while changes to the hull reduce pitch even though roll remains excessive. Enough near-identical ships are then ordered to form two divisions of four, simplifying the force even when each unit is mediocre. The procurement choice immediately exposes the tension between useful fleet structure and an unsustainable monthly deficit. A rangefinder arrives after the ships are laid down, but the crowded design has no obvious space for it. Standardization can reproduce inherited limits along with common equipment.
Notable Point · 33:24-41:42
Standardizing four-ship battleship divisions
A modest refit and six new ships aim to create two standardized four-battleship divisions within a fragile budget.