What if Washington allowed more than Nelson & Rodney: A UAD infused discussion (Long Patrol)

The counterfactual begins by asking what the Royal Navy might receive if it surrendered more 13.5-inch ships, including HMS Tiger, under the Washington settlement.

Several fast capital ships give the Royal Navy dependable availability across maintenance and deployment cycles.

The alternative treaty deal becomes diplomatically plausible because Britain would exchange nine older ships for only five or six new ones, reducing how many places its capital ships could cover.

The proposed alternative is a 35,000-ton capital ship with 16-inch guns and 28-knot speed, using less protection than the historical two-ship Nelson design.

More 28-knot ships could make a powerful fast battle line even if each vessel accepted less armour than Nelson and Rodney.

A nominally faster enemy may have to run continuously at maximum speed to stay clear of a 28-knot British battle line, sharply reducing its useful radius.

A simulated Denmark Strait-style action illustrates how two 16-inch ships can overwhelm a faster opponent despite lighter protection.

The game design stays within its displacement target by reducing conning-tower protection, using three triple 6-inch turrets, and considering single mounts to represent 4.7-inch anti-aircraft guns.

Naval procurement distributes capability across a fleet, balancing heavily protected ships against the resilience that comes from larger numbers.

A modern analogy contrasts small detachments suited to counterinsurgency with battle groups that need armour, artillery, and larger transport platforms against a proficient opponent.

Reduced armour and a rearranged machinery plant are presented as the technical route from Nelson and Rodney’s 45,000 shp to a faster design.

Building six Nelson-type ships in the 1920s would keep shipyards, armour manufacture, and their supply chains more active.

The simulated Bismarck's loss of motion illustrates why visual fire-control solutions become much simpler once a target stops manoeuvring.

The alternative main-battery arrangement can bring all nine 16-inch guns forward, unlike the protection-driven historical Nelson layout.

A Royal Navy battle line of 28-knot ships would force Germany and the United States to reconsider the speed, displacement, and protection of their own capital ships.

Five 35,000-ton ships are presented as the cautious estimate, enough to form a fast line alongside modernized Queen Elizabeth-class battleships.

Nelson and Rodney's unusual priorities suit a unique two-ship capability. A standardized class of five or six would begin from different requirements.

Retiring the 13.5-inch battleships leaves the Revenge class as the fleet's only 21-knot group and clarifies why it would become the next replacement priority.

A 28-knot Nelson class would give the Royal Navy a stronger reason to modernize the Queen Elizabeth class to match its battle-line speed.

As Britain's only treaty-maximum 16-inch-gun battleships, Nelson and Rodney had to emphasize survivability over the speed that a larger class could exploit.

A larger fast capital-ship force opens different choices for Mediterranean, Far Eastern, and Atlantic deployment.