A dual-purpose 4.7-inch gun is presented as the preferred British destroyer weapon. Even achieving that goal would leave 4.5-inch weapons on carriers and older capital ships, 5.25-inch weapons on newer capital ships and Dido-class cruisers, and four-inch weapons on older cruisers. Newer cruisers would use 4.5-inch guns. Each ammunition family would still need its own supply arrangements, so solving the destroyer-gun problem would leave a wider logistical burden. Henderson's papers are cited for contemporary frustration with that variety.
Notable Point · 2:49:39-2:50:58
Why Britain's preferred dual-purpose guns still complicated supply
A successful 4.7-inch destroyer gun would still leave Britain supplying several dual-purpose calibres across the fleet.