The campaign research queue returns attention to rangefinders and the performance of heavy naval guns. The 16.5-inch weapon is treated as a particularly effective balance point and receives priority. In the accompanying counterfactual judgment, the Royal Navy might ultimately have favored that caliber while the U.S. Navy probably remained attached to the 16-inch gun. This is an interpretation of institutional preference and design balance, rather than a claim that either choice was inevitable.
Notable Point · 48:46-49:39
British and American battleship guns reach different balance points
Gun research prompts a counterfactual in which Britain settles on 16.5-inch weapons while the United States prefers 16 inches.