Belfast and Edinburgh show how one successful weapon could redirect an entire cruiser design. If Britain had possessed an automatic eight-inch gun before the Second World War, the enlarged Town-class ships might have carried three triple heavy-gun turrets. That choice would replace their intended four quadruple six-inch arrangement and the eventual four triple layout with fewer, harder-hitting weapons. Autoloader maturity could therefore change cruiser armament calculations as well as improve an existing turret.
Notable Point · 1:47:43-1:49:17
An autoloading eight-inch Town-class alternative
Earlier British eight-inch autoloaders could have redirected Belfast and Edinburgh from quadruple six-inch turrets to rapid-firing heavy guns.