A maximum displacement per battleship creates a different fleet from an aggregate tonnage allowance or a fixed number of hulls. Britain might use the full 48,000-ton ceiling if every permitted hull counted equally. An aggregate allowance would instead reward more ships of somewhat smaller size, helping the Royal Navy maintain a presence across its worldwide commitments. Nelson and Rodney show that strained postwar finances did not make expensive new capital ships impossible. Ordering several related G3 and N3 hulls could also lower unit costs through repeated construction. The treaty arithmetic linked fleet distribution, industrial employment, and Britain's strategic geography.
Notable Point · 6:34-9:20
Treaty tonnage rules and Britain's need for hull numbers
Treaty rules for displacement, aggregate tonnage, or hull numbers would determine whether Britain favoured a few very large capital ships or enough ships to cover its worldwide stations.