Two smaller designs have been worked out as well as part of the negotiations strategy for the 2nd Naval Treaty of London. The Staff requirements still maintained a main battery of 9-16″ guns but they were willing to give up some speed and part of the secondary battery while at the same time increasing the number of Pom-Poms to six.

Speed was an expensive thing to be had in terms of tonnage as dropping only 2 knots down to 28 knots compared to 16D-38 allowed for 16F-38 to come in at only 39.500 tons (40.000 if the secondary battery is kept at 8 dual mounts).

First Sea Lord feared that the US would not agree to the 40.000 ton limit so the alternative of 43.000 tons was suggested, resulting in the 16G-38 design proposal, which traded it’s aircraft and catapults for torpedoes while keeping 30 knots and the 6 pom-poms as well.

They kept the immunity zone of 14.000-30.000 yards versus their own 16″ shells and other aspects of the design remained unchanged.

As we know the US did not agree to the proposed lower limits, still an order was placed for the first two units of the class based on the 16F-38 with the two additional secondary mounts and a rearranged aft superstructure to mount the aft DCT on it instead on top of Turret X.