The British plan

My friend Cliff's intent was to use large destroyers (such as his GB/DL/1906 design) and the fast battlecruisers (like the GB/CB/1905 design) as scouts. They would also provide backup to the destroyer and fast gunboat flotillas. The initial group of battleships were fast and well-armored, but lightly armed (6-12in BLR and 8-6in QF guns). Speed was a very important factor in Cliff's tactical plans. Closer to the start of the war, he started building slower battleships and even built some scout cruisers (in 1914). Both the British and German wartime building programs included extremely large battleships. This was to be a purely naval war, and both sides intended to immediately dispute the control of the seas through battle. The sides were pretty evenly matched, despite some strange design decisions.