Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:30:02-2:30:39

Could a Far East battleship action have preserved Warspite?

A major action against the Kongō class could give Warspite a stronger claim to postwar preservation, though the outcome remains speculative.

Alternate HistoryBattleshipsHMS WarspiteKongo Class BattlecruisersNaval PreservationPacific War
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Question

Could service in a major Far East battleship action have helped preserve Warspite after the war?

Short answer

Possibly. Surviving a celebrated final battleship action could have strengthened Warspite's postwar preservation case.

Notes

Warspite might have gained a stronger case for preservation if she had survived a final major battleship action in the Far East. The imagined British force includes Renown, Repulse, and Prince of Wales against Japanese Kongō-class ships. Participation in such an action could have added to Warspite's public significance after the war. Preservation remains a possibility in this counterfactual.