Ok,
After the first rejection by HMT, the design staff offer up this cheaper version (just tried to redraw a bit using more of the old ship, to reduce costs).
The reasoning for this ship is as follows,
1) a) All the 13.5 ships are likely to be useless v the 15/16inch ships allowed by the treaty (not to start mentioning the 35kt min ones built after the holiday).
b) but we are allowed to keep a small number of them by treaty(some till we build 2 35kt and some as training/gunnery ships).
c) so what will be useful v smaller ships ? fast bc or slow bb ? I would think keeping a few BC as training ships that then can become useful 2nd class ships if the treaty break down ? (I know the RN didn't really think like that, but lets pretend, the IJN did so not to pie in the sky and we might just sell it to the Gov as just training ships that cost the same as BB after we remove the extra engines and have better accommodation ?) .
2) We Keep the Lion class as the training/gunnery ships remove the Q and maybe X turret, the armour and most of the boilers to comply with the rules(and they will have lots of space for accommodation/classrooms etc).
3) in mid/late 30's we start to panic, and realize that they can be modernized and set to work and make them into cheap (ish) and useful v anything but a full BB at low ish cost (compared to new build) 2nd class BC's.
a) they can be modernised without taking a useful ship out of the line (this is what slowed down RN main program that they had to keep ships ready as they didn't know when 'it' would start) so can start in 1937 as soon as treaty's laps, or earlier if we pretend its just yearly maintenance or allowed modifications at first  , ok not sure RN can do this politically.
b) we can modify the the guns pre 1937 as we have lots of spares in store to work on.
c) the cost will I think be much less than a new capital ship ?(does anybody have the numbers on the cost of the QE rebuilds v a town class v new BB ?)
So my design
![[ img ]](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/JSB/Shipbucket/modlion1.2.png)
my ships has
1) min 6 guns for salvos and as many forward to chase down running targets, 13.5 will work v all but a new BB and we should be able to up elevation.
2) DP secondary's (but without hitting the shortage of 4.5/5.25 guns ), 4 pompoms will give a good close AA (maybe to good ?).
3) lots of free weight /space as we have removed Q
4) new engines (can refit them through the big hole we have now we don't have a Q barbet) should more than balance the torpedo bulges ( I really think we need then as ww1 ships didn't do to well after being torpedoed), (Not sure but I wanted loads to speed to catch cruisers / fast raiders but it may not be enough without new bow/transom ? and I wanted lost of range as well ? but that may be to costly). So I would expect 30+Kn and its a big (compared to a CA) so might catch stuff in any sort of sea state and anyway it will be a long chase wasting lots of fuel for a raiding ship to use up a long way from home (and we can scout them with planes and keep following them) ?
5) not sure we need more/better deck/belt but might patch the mags a bit thinker.
6) Lots of Aircraft (5+) to search for targets in open ocean( 2 hangars forward and aft of the cat).
In summary yes they will not be very good ships but they might only cost as much as a cruiser or 2 to modernise and can be made available faster than a new BB and be very useful v anything other than a full on BB ( I would think they easily kill any pocket BB or CA ?).
Please do tell me if they are totally worthless and my logic sucks (I would be interested in your knowledgeable opinions) , Thanks JSB
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.![[ img ]](http://www.majhost.com/gallery/JSB/Shipbucket/modlion1.1.png)