Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:14:46-4:15:42

The 5-inch/38 and British 4.5-inch gun

The American 5-inch/38 wins on wartime maturity, while the British 4.5-inch arrived too late to equip destroyers as widely.

4.5-inch Guns5-inch GunsDestroyersDual Purpose Guns
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Question

What was the best all-purpose secondary and destroyer gun of the Second World War?

Short answer

The U.S. 5-inch/38, chiefly because its complete system was mature and widely deployed; the British 4.5-inch was the closest rival.

Notes

The practical comparison is between the U.S. 5-inch/38 and the British 4.5-inch family. The British weapon was highly capable, but suitable destroyer mountings did not reach broad service until late-war S- and Battle-class designs. The American system combined a proven gun, mounting, fire control, and large-scale deployment across many ships. The wartime verdict favours the 5-inch/38 while leaving room for the 4.5-inch as a strong weapon introduced too slowly.