Different national accounting practices make warship cost comparisons approximate and require costs to be put on a common basis. The comparison here estimates a contemporary British battleship-to-battlecruiser price difference of about 35 percent against roughly 45 percent for the American allowances. The Lexington allowance is judged more plausible than the U.S. battleship ceiling, especially given the battlecruiser's emphasis on speed over armor. The resulting criticism is that the funding left American battleship designers making compromises despite requirements for high performance. Those conclusions depend on the comparative costing and design judgment, rather than the statutory totals alone.
Notable Point · 41:26-44:22
Warship price ceilings and the argument over design compromises
Approximate British and American cost comparisons underpin a criticism that battleship price ceilings left designers insufficient room to meet the stated requirements.