Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 13:26-13:59

Britain's reserve of 15-inch and 14-inch guns

Stored guns from retired British capital ships could support a new heavy warship, although a fresh weapon might be preferable.

14-inch Guns15-inch GunsKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Naval ArtilleryQueen Elizabeth Class BattleshipsRenown Class BattlecruisersRevenge Class BattleshipsRoyal Navy
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Question

Were enough British 15-inch guns left in the 1950s to build a new super-Renown?

Short answer

Yes; guns remained from several retired 15-inch classes, alongside 14-inch weapons, though Britain might instead pursue a new design.

Notes

The available pool included surviving 15-inch guns from the Queen Elizabeth, Renown, and Revenge classes. Britain also retained 14-inch weapons from the King George V class. That inventory makes a recycled-gun super-Renown physically plausible in the counterfactual. Britain could instead choose to develop a better gun.