Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:25:31-1:30:38

Five fast Nelson-style ships in the Tillman treaty scenario

A hypothetical 40,000-ton treaty limit allows a different combination of British battleship speed, armour and armament.

Alternate HistoryBattleshipsBenjamin TillmanDenmark StraitHMS Hood 1918Naval Arms ControlNaval ProcurementNaval TreatiesNelson Class BattleshipsRoyal NavyShip DesignWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Would five faster Nelson-style capital ships allow Britain to share Hood's workload?

Short answer

They would give Britain more fast capital ships to share deployments, leaving Hood in better condition before the Second World War.

Notes

The hypothetical Tillman version of the Washington Naval Treaty raises the capital-ship tonnage limit to 40,000 tons. The scenario connects Tillman's resistance to a building holiday with employment and party support in his home state. An extra 5,000 tons could allow Britain to combine Nelson-level armour and 16-inch guns with a design speed of about 28 knots. Five such ships would share Hood's fast-capital-ship workload and change the forces available for encounters such as Denmark Strait. Sustainable design speed also differs from a short emergency burst: greater speed could be obtained at the cost of machinery wear if a major refit would follow. These are consequences of the proposed treaty and ship designs, rather than the historical fleet's capabilities.