Fourteen-inch guns, armour, and the Yamato problem

Were British battleship guns adequate against everything except Yamato and Musashi, and was a separate 16-inch calibre worth the logistical cost?

Yamato and Musashi were not immune to smaller battleship shells. Repeated hits, rate of fire, and fleet tactics mattered alongside calibre, while a separate ammunition supply imposed costs across the fleet.

Armour buys time against heavy shellfire. Repeated impacts can weaken a protected area even when the first shell does not penetrate. Speed and force concentration could help a British force avoid a one-on-one fight with Yamato, while King George V-class protection could absorb a heavy hit. British analysts working from photographs initially estimated Yamato-class guns at 17 to 17.5 inches, which still implied enormous shell power. Smaller shells can provide a useful volume of fire, especially when visual salvo spotting makes repeated corrections essential. Changing calibre also creates ammunition and fleet-logistics costs that affect the whole force rather than only the two ships carrying the new gun.