Using Warspite to reshape interwar Royal Navy policy

Why make Warspite more lethal, and what wider Royal Navy changes would follow?

The ship becomes a platform for accelerating propulsion, heavy guns, dual-purpose weapons, fast battleships, and Royal Navy control of carrier aviation.

Asked why he wants to make Warspite more lethal, Dr. Clarke expands the counterfactual into a broader interwar reform program. He would accelerate higher-pressure boilers so an upgraded Warspite could approach 28 knots with 15-inch/50 guns. The same gun work could support a more heavily armed Hood and a fast-battleship line. Early knowledge of the 4.5-inch, 4.7-inch, and 5-inch secondary debate would also shape a better dual-purpose battery. His highest priority is to use senior influence to keep shipboard aviation under Royal Navy command and advance carrier development. In this scenario, sufficient rank and political support could turn an officer's technical choices into institutional policy.