Dr Clarke places warships on a spectrum defined partly by armour coverage, subdivision, and hull density. He argues that additional subdivision introduced into at least two Kongo-class ships during their 1930s reconstructions moved them into fast-battleship territory. Drachinifel continues to classify them as battlecruisers. Their disagreement concerns how much the rebuilt ship's physical characteristics should change the classification inherited from its original design.
Notable Point · 2:27:01-2:28:31
When refits move a battlecruiser toward a fast battleship
The Kongo-class aside shows why warship classification can change as reconstruction alters protection, subdivision, and hull characteristics.