Restoring the station-cruiser role

As Britain concentrates heavy units against Germany, it still needs ships that can represent power overseas without detaching a battlecruiser. The rising cost of battlecruisers has prevented them from replacing armoured cruisers as numerous station flagships. A fast cruiser with eight 9.2-inch guns could overmatch most local opponents and create an intermediate step in escalation. Its presence makes negotiation more attractive by signalling that any attack will bring a much larger Royal Navy response, while keeping the main battlecruiser force concentrated in Europe. Fisher later used the same station-cruiser requirement to justify Courageous, Glorious, and Furious, although he gave those ships capital-ship guns. Four twin 9.2-inch turrets would have suited the stated role more coherently.