Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:56:35-2:58:11

What a true pocket battleship would have to do

A cruiser capable of a battleship's peacetime presence duties would need prestige and enough combat power to deter other cruisers; the proposed design carries twelve 9.2-inch guns.

Alaska Class Large CruisersArmoured CruisersCoastal Defence ShipsDeutschland Class CruisersPocket Battleships
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Question

What would a real pocket battleship be?

Short answer

A powerful cruiser could perform battleship-like presence duties in peacetime. The proposed example has twelve 9.2-inch guns, matching protection and enough additional armament to deter other cruisers.

Notes

The starting analogy is a Tribal-class destroyer performing some of a cruiser's peacetime and scouting duties. Applied one level higher, the proposed ship would be a cruiser with enough size and prestige to perform a battleship's peacetime presence role. Without treaty restrictions, one suggested design carries twelve 9.2-inch guns in four triple turrets, with armor intended to withstand equivalent gunfire. Air defense and sufficient torpedo armament would help make it an unattractive opponent for anything below a battleship. The Deutschland class is considered a partial fit for the presence role, although its design is interpreted here as a modernized coastal-defense ship with an added raiding function.