York and Exeter were cheaper derivatives of the County-class heavy cruisers, armed with six rather than eight eight-inch guns. Removing a turret saved cost but weakened the battery in a period when cruisers carried much of the burden left by restrictions on capital-ship construction. One proposed alternative applies the all-forward Nelson and Rodney arrangement to a cruiser, using an established treaty-design approach. Renown's six heavy guns could still dominate much more lightly armed opponents, but York lacked that advantage over its likely cruiser opposition. Faster-firing six-inch batteries, especially the twelve-gun Town class, could put many more shells into the air. Contemporary treaty cruisers lacked armour sufficient to disregard such fire at the engagement ranges envisaged here. The cost saving therefore reduced combat power central to the ship's role.
Chapter · 1:22:31-1:27:40
York's cut-price battery weakened its firepower
The York class cut one turret from the County pattern, leaving six eight-inch guns at a serious volume-of-fire disadvantage against modern light cruisers.