King George V gun and turret compromises

A hypothetical King George V class with three triple 15-inch turrets offers an alternative to the 14-inch gun arrangements adopted under treaty pressure. Standardising on the Royal Navy's existing 15-inch shell would have simplified ammunition logistics. Yet British experience with the Nelson class showed that triple 16-inch mountings could require years of work before operating reliably. Those turret ideas had originated in the larger G3 and N3 designs, where greater displacement allowed heavier machinery. Reusing them within treaty limits encouraged weight savings and structural compromises in the wrong places. A diplomatic ceiling thus became a practical problem of gun choice, turret reliability, armour priorities, and fleet-wide supply.