Tiger's £2.6 million cost shows why even a navy as large as Britain's could not use battlecruisers for every global cruiser duty. That capital cost helps explain smaller 'Tiger cub' concepts built around 9.2-inch guns. Such ships would trade the heaviest battlecruiser fighting power for greater numbers and wider coverage. Procurement was a force-structure problem because the fleet still needed enough hulls for all its missions.
Notable Point · 18:22-18:47
Why Tiger's cost encouraged smaller cruiser concepts
Tiger's £2.6 million price explains why the Royal Navy also needed smaller cruisers that could cover more missions and stations for the same resources.