Benbow carried the largest-calibre gun fitted to a Royal Navy battleship, a 16.25-inch weapon chosen partly in response to Italian heavy-gun competition. That distinction depends on ship classification: Furious carried an 18-inch gun as a large light cruiser, and monitors also carried 18-inch weapons. An opponent that might manage one Admiral-class battleship still had to expect Britain to dispatch two or three. The six-ship class made the threat of several survivable opponents a practical part of deterrence.
Notable Point · 55:20-57:44
Benbow's gun and numbers turn design into deterrence
HMS Benbow's 16.25-inch gun drew attention, but a six-ship Admiral class made the stronger warning that Britain could send several survivable battleships.