The Washington Naval Treaty set the limits behind the Type B idea. An 8,500-ton ship was supposed to deter the best cruiser an opponent could legally build while costing less than the 10,000-ton Type A. An 8,000-ton target might have fitted five ships into the treaty tonnage consumed by four Type As, while 8,500 tons complicated that arithmetic. The Royal Navy could prioritize Type A construction because Hawkins-class and other existing ships temporarily covered parts of the lesser role. Almost a decade of thought and development still failed to produce a more deliberate Type B cruiser for service.
Notable Point · 7:47-10:46
The intended Type B cruiser role
A treaty-era Type B cruiser was meant to deter the best permitted opponent at lower cost and displacement.