At the upper end of the scenario, fourteen ships carry eight or nine 15-inch guns and make roughly 28 knots, while four successors carry twelve 15-inch guns and reach about 30 knots. That would place eighteen fast capital ships in the British fleet by the treaty period. The historical Hood, at approximately 42,000 tons in this comparison, could be treated as a single exception. Four approximately 45,000-ton fast battleships would be harder to accommodate under a 35,000-ton standard-displacement limit. Their battleship protection and greater gun power would also change comparisons with the American Colorado class. A ship-for-ship equivalence could therefore become contentious, alongside the displacement limit. The treaty terms remain uncertain.
Chapter · 1:22:35-1:24:19
A fast battle line changes treaty bargaining
Four 45,000-ton fast battleships would make a 35,000-ton limit harder to negotiate than a single exceptional Hood.