Thanks for the post edgeworthy interesting stuff (even if I have a few questions with some of it).
- I don't think you get as many new ships, even in a no treaty world the 20/30s are still full of people trying to save money (or running out in the IJN case)
- I think a 16"/etc limit might well be agreed informally as soon as people who don't agree with limits (IJN) run out of cash....
- With more capital ships I think most the CAs get cancelled why build them when a Kongo/R&R/Lex can take there place (and is free as it cant fight a new BB anyway)
- Really not sure about the LexII + they had already started to not like the original Lex's and through about CV conversions so not sure you even get a full 6 without WNT.
- Why keep tiger as solo 13.5" ship ? I would cut it or keep more of them, maybe last 2 classes of BBs ?
- ANT was effectively already obsolete but having it get forgotten slowly might be nicer to all sides and bring up less tension.
- Singapore a genuine fortress? isn't going to happen with 1930s budgets (and cant really if you need to concentrate on Europe)
- Not sure I agree with any Z plan stuff I think they just drop out of the GB/US/J race and build very fast cheap PB killers at a lower level to fight European opponents.
- the German plans are insanenot sure that GB ships (in a no treaty world) matter more than just MN/RM fleets as they might accept that a GB navel war isn't winnable ? (and would GB really agree to 35% in a no treaty world ? why sign anything and why 35% not that Germany could pay for that much in a very short window 34-39)
And do we have to keep reposting in full ? makes it a bit long and hard to read ?
We are working with an unlimited budget!
And I have suggested spending some of it on upgrading the RN's infrastructure, as well as R&D, which is where I was going.
So more money spent on Singapore!
The study I did is a bit old, and very speculative, the USN might end up moving into the Fast Battleship world, which is really what the G3's were, assuming it doesn't decide to skip the idea altogether (And decide to build more larger CA's).
Any version of the Z-Plan sounds insane, but you have to consider its Author. He was inclined towards the grandiose and implausible, have you seen the later H-Class plans?
Washington was not the beginning or end of Naval treaties, the Anglo-Japanese Naval Treaty preceded it by 20 years, the dissolution of which was one of the results of the WNT, so it might continue without it.
Britain and Germany signing a bi-lateral Naval treaty, not without precedent.
This is alternate history, we can speculate anything?
And to follow on from this, to give the RN an Unlimited budget.
Britain does have onshore Oilfields, in use since the 1930's, suppose the ASB's make them larger, and developed Pre-WW1?