The counterfactual accepts the treaty's 16-inch gun maximum while rejecting its 35,000-ton displacement cap. An 18-inch-armed Queen Elizabeth-class design is presented as a speculative preference, alongside competing ideas for triple 15-inch mountings. Neither proposal was built, and the turret arrangements remain uncertain, so they do not supply firm evidence for a higher ceiling. The alternative retains a historical limit because the design case for change is weaker.
Notable Point · 14:48-15:52
Why the counterfactual keeps a 16-inch gun ceiling
The alternative treaty retains the historical 16-inch maximum because larger-gun Queen Elizabeth ideas remained speculative rather than demonstrated design requirements.