The Washington treaty allowed Britain to construct two capital ships of no more than 35,000 tons standard displacement, with four older ships to be disposed of on their completion. Britain and the United States each received 525,000 tons of capital-ship replacement tonnage, Japan 315,000, and France and Italy 175,000 each. The British allocation covered the empire, preventing transfers to dominion fleets from providing an escape from the overall limit. The 35,000-ton displacement and 16-inch gun caliber were ceilings, leaving room for different combinations of protection, armament, and speed. Britain could therefore choose 15-inch guns if naval requirements outweighed the prestige of matching American and Japanese 16-inch ships.
Chapter · 6:40-10:50
The Washington treaty permitted two British capital ships without requiring 16-inch guns
The treaty authorized Britain to build two 35,000-ton capital ships and capped guns at 16 inches, leaving room for a smaller-caliber fast design.