BlondieBC
Banned
One thing I hate about this is that we have to place ourselves into the eyes of the time so often in debates.
I saw a suggestion dated 1912 (before the weight creep in the design process slowed the qe class) that in the event of war the bcf would split between a fast element centered on the 13.5 inch gunned battlecruisers and a slow element centered around the invincibles indefactibles and the Queen Elizabeth's.
In the event of conflict between the slow bcf and the German battlecruisers the invincibles and indefactibles would leave the German battlecruisers to the Queen Elizabeth's who would outclass the Germans and instead hunt the light cruisers and armored cruisers escorting the scouting group.
My understanding of prewar doctrine is that BC retreated from main battle lines, and this was true for all navies. It just never seems to work out that way in combat.