Large, fast ships

I continue to be enamoured of large fast ships with large guns. They have the characteristic of being able to outrun anything which could harm them and to catch anything smaller than that, whatever their trial speed was. In any sort of a seaway, destroyers and small cruisers are slowed. The trial speed is pretty much limited to smooth water for these ships.

David K. Brown and Frank Fox have both told me that they believe that the large, fast battlecruiser should have at least an 8-gun armament, so that it can fire effectively at long range. My friend Cliff's GB/CB/1905 design only has 4-12in guns, so it fails the test. Both David Brown and Frank Fox also think that the design needs 6in side armour, not 3in or 4in.