Armour and subdivision in fast battleships and battlecruisers

Completion of Italian Francesco Caracciolo ships could create another fast-battleship challenge for Britain. In this design interpretation, G3 and F3 designs approach fast battleships through the development of fully armoured battlecruisers. The distinction concerns subdivision as well as the amount and distribution of armour. A fully armoured battlecruiser retains battlecruiser subdivision beneath stronger protection. A fast battleship generally combines more subdivision with concentrated protection, often using an all-or-nothing arrangement. Such designs could make fast battleships more common during the five years before a settlement.