The design starts from a 35,000-standard-ton treaty ceiling and an initial target of 30 to 31 knots against a roughly 20-knot Italian opponent. Once the main battery, six-inch secondaries, ammunition, and long-range British gunnery preferences are represented, that ambition has to be reduced. Settling near 28 knots brings the design much closer to its intended weight while preserving a meaningful speed advantage. Under a treaty displacement limit, speed, firepower, protection, and endurance form one constrained design problem.
Chapter · 1:26:46-1:36:47
A fast Royal Navy treaty-capital-ship response
A 1930 design exercise starts with a 35,000-ton treaty ceiling and tests how much speed a British answer to slower Italian capital ships could retain after fitting its battery and range requirements.