Wringing the last bit of performance out of the design

By reducing the gratuitous extra length from the armour belt and thinning it to 8in, I was able to get 37 knots from my "cruiser killer" design (GB/CB/1923). Of course, the design is only possible because of using the lightest weight machinery (41.8 SHP/ton). So you have a fast ship with 9-14in BLR, 16-5.5in QF, 6-4.7in AA, and 36-2pdr AA. This is the revised Springsharp report:

GB/CB/1923, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1923 (Engine 1950)

Displacement:
 40,502 t light; 42,012 t standard; 43,500 t normal; 44,690 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
 867.97 ft / 865.00 ft x 112.00 ft x 34.00 ft (normal load)
 264.56 m / 263.65 m x 34.14 m  x 10.36 m

Armament:
      9 - 14.00" / 356 mm guns (3x3 guns), 1,372.00lbs / 622.33kg shells, 1923 Model
   Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
      16 - 5.50" / 140 mm guns (8x2 guns), 83.19lbs / 37.73kg shells, 1923 Model
   Quick firing guns in turrets (on barbettes)
   on side, all amidships, 4 raised mounts - superfiring
      6 - 4.70" / 119 mm guns in single mounts, 51.91lbs / 23.55kg shells, 1923 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
   on side ends, majority forward, all raised mounts - superfiring
      36 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (3x12 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.89kg shells, 1923 Model
   Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts 
   on side, evenly spread, 2 raised mounts
 Weight of broadside 14,061 lbs / 6,378 kg
 Shells per gun, main battery: 80

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 620.00 ft / 188.98 m 16.00 ft / 4.88 m
 Ends: Unarmoured
   Main Belt covers 110 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 620.00 ft / 188.98 m 33.00 ft / 10.06 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 10.0" / 254 mm 6.00" / 152 mm  10.0" / 254 mm
 2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 mm  4.00" / 102 mm
 3rd: 1.00" / 25 mm       -         -

   - Armour deck: 4.00" / 102 mm, Conning tower: 10.00" / 254 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Geared drive, 4 shafts, 276,990 shp / 206,635 Kw = 37.00 kts
 Range 5,400nm at 15.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 2,678 tons

Complement:
 1,505 - 1,957

Cost:
 £11.118 million / $44.470 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 1,758 tons, 4.0 %
 Armour: 12,918 tons, 29.7 %
    - Belts: 3,309 tons, 7.6 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,514 tons, 3.5 %
    - Armament: 3,028 tons, 7.0 %
    - Armour Deck: 4,800 tons, 11.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 266 tons, 0.6 %
 Machinery: 6,627 tons, 15.2 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 19,200 tons, 44.1 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 2,998 tons, 6.9 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   62,369 lbs / 28,290 Kg = 45.5 x 14.0 " / 356 mm shells or 9.0 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.13
 Metacentric height 7.5 ft / 2.3 m
 Roll period: 17.2 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.47
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.01

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has low forecastle
   and transom stern
 Block coefficient: 0.462
 Length to Beam Ratio: 7.72 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 34.47 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 57 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
 Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
    - Stem:  34.00 ft / 10.36 m
    - Forecastle (20 %): 26.00 ft / 7.92 m (27.00 ft / 8.23 m aft of break)
    - Mid (50 %):  27.00 ft / 8.23 m
    - Quarterdeck (15 %): 27.00 ft / 8.23 m
    - Stern:  27.00 ft / 8.23 m
    - Average freeboard: 27.44 ft / 8.36 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 97.2 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 221.7 %
 Waterplane Area: 64,867 Square feet or 6,026 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 108 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 208 lbs/sq ft or 1,014 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.96
  - Longitudinal: 1.50
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent