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Battlecruisers were large warships of the first half of the 20th century first introduced by the British Royal Navy. They evolved from armoured cruisers and in terms of ship classification they occupy a grey area between cruisers and battleships. Generally, battlecruisers were similar in layout and armament to battleships but they traded off armour or firepower for higher speed; they still retained enough firepower and protection to be classified as capital ships. On the other extreme, considerably smaller vessels which were upscaled cruisers, such as large cruisers and pocket battleships, are often considered by some to be battlecruisers as well.