Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:24:22-2:26:00

Triple turrets would reshape Fisher's battlecruisers and the yards behind them

Broader ships with triple turrets could carry nine or twelve heavy guns and create hulls better suited to later carrier conversion.

BattlecruisersHMS HoodNaval GunneryNaval InfrastructureShip Design
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Question

What single change would most improve Fisher's battlecruiser line with hindsight?

Short answer

Adopt triple turrets and broader hulls, gaining heavier broadsides, better conversion potential, and larger supporting infrastructure.

Notes

Changing the turret arrangement alters beam, length, weight distribution, and the infrastructure needed to build and support the ships. Renown and Repulse become nine-gun ships rather than six-gun ships, while Hood becomes a twelve-gun design. Broader hulls would also be better starting points for later carrier conversion. The larger ships would force investment in docks and yards capable of handling them. One armament decision therefore propagates through firepower, hull form, conversion potential, and the industrial base available for later construction.