The Second World War at sea demanded capable ships across many dispersed task forces. Older R-class battleships had been designed mainly for a concentrated battle line, while rebuilt Queen Elizabeths combined line-of-battle and task-force qualities. The battlecruisers and King George V class were better suited to independent deployment, and Nelson and Rodney retained useful solo capability despite their battle-line origins. Independent utility depended on whether a ship could operate effectively away from a large supporting formation. Replacing an old battleship with a newer one could therefore improve the fleet without increasing its nominal hull count.
Notable Point · 20:18-22:08
A task-force war rewards modern ships that can deploy widely
The Royal Navy needed modern capital ships that could provide presence across dispersed task forces; older battleships had been conceived for a concentrated line of battle.