User blog comment:Void Samukai/The 7 key BBs in history/@comment-10905876-20160120133721/@comment-14850713-20160122071107

Don't start the Alaska argument again (lol).

Yes, I used broad eras to compare but the definition of the battle cruiser is clear: not marginally less armored but much less armored than battleships (and not as well protected all around) in order to be much faster. At that time, propulsion systems have not advanced to the extent that significant speed could be attained without sacrificing armor. But clearly by WW2 the technology had become available (as you pointed out yourself), leading to a more balanced design: the fast battleship. Now the million dollar question is, had WW2 continued for a longer time, would the success of the fast battleship have spelled the end of the battle cruiser?