Q&A · 2:59:46-3:01:30

Using a larger Queen Elizabeth hull for speed

A fast-battleship answer turns the volume required by triple turrets into machinery power and compares the result with German battlecruiser speeds.

Question

Could a larger Queen Elizabeth-class hull built for triple turrets use its machinery volume to gain speed?

Short answer

Yes; more boiler capacity could plausibly produce about 26.5 knots, enough to remove most German battlecruisers' range-control advantage.

Notes

Maintaining the enlarged hull's proportions creates room that can be assigned to boilers and propulsion. Even falling short of 28 knots and reaching roughly 26.5 would matter, because most German battlecruisers operated in the same speed band. They could remain with the British ships but would struggle to dictate range through a meaningful speed advantage.