Britain's 18-inch naval guns predated the interwar battleship proposals. The Royal Navy developed them during the First World War, and weapons associated with large capital-ship projects were later redirected to monitors. They became shore-bombardment artillery after the ships originally intended to carry them changed or disappeared.
Notable Point · 1:01:54-1:02:45
Royal Navy 18-inch guns before the treaty battleships
A historical correction traces British 18-inch artillery from First World War capital-ship projects into shore-bombardment monitors.