Never Weres and Weres

[Deathtreader]

Hi Tankerace,

I'm out on a business trip so I don't have my ref's handy..... but I was wondering if the Nelson & Rodney were in the game since I seem to remember that they were both launched in the 20's. I haven't seen any ref to either of them in any of the threads.

Rob.

[Tankerace]

Unfortunately No they are not. While they were completed in 1928, I chose not to include them because the British not only get to retain most iof their WWI fleet, they also have 3 additional uncompleted battlcruisers. In addition to that, the name Rodney is assigned to one of the uncompleted battlecruisers.

The main reason I chose not to include them was because they were the first "Treaty" battleships. Their armor, length, and most notably their speed were all dictated by the 35,000 ton limit. With War Plan Orange assuming that the Washington Treaty was never ratified, I would rather not include 2 battleships than to make up two fantasy ones.

Also, as per the treaty, the Nelsons were built, at the expense of the 4 King George Vs (Not the 1940 ones, the 1912 ones). Once completed, the three surviving KGVs had to be scrapped. With no tonnage limit, not only would the Nelson's not be designed, but the KGVs would not have been scrapped. So, you can (in a way) think of it as getting 3 13.5" battleships for 2 16" battleships.

While the G3 design might have been built (These are not in WPO, though I may at somepoint do a really what if scenario and add in all the uber designs), the Nelsons were skewed versions of them. Had they not been limited to 35,000 tons, they might have been capable of 25 or 27 knots. While the game does take place in the 1920s, and most 1920's ships are in, certain designs forced because of the Washington Treaty have been left out (This applies mostly to the Nelson class BBs, and ALL Treaty cruisers [County class for the UK, Furutaka and Aoba for Japan, Pensacola for the US].

[Deathtreader]

Hi,

Thanks for the explanation........ makes sense in that context. BTW, your idea of a "possible" future what if scenario containing all the "uber" designs is good to hear. I think you'll find it's a popular one!! [:)]

Rob.

[Capt. Harlock]

The main reason I chose not to include them was because they were the first "Treaty" battleships. Their armor, length, and most notably their speed were all dictated by the 35,000 ton limit.

It is arguable that the "Nelson" class were the ONLY "Treaty" battleships. Although the public announcements said differently, both the modern KGV class and the North Carolina class violated the 35,000 ton limit.

[Onime No Kyo]

By that logic you could argue that everyone and their mother violated the limits. Some did it by miscalculation some, like the Mogamis were downright backdoor reclassifications.

The Brits, however, had a vested interest in being true to the limits. It was the only thing that could give them anything even near naval parity because they couldnt afford to build new stuff.