Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:25:47-2:28:24

British super-long gun experiments before the treaties

A role-playing design question leads to evidence for British work on unusually long heavy naval guns before and just after the First World War.

15-inch Guns16-inch GunsElswick Ordnance CompanyLive Q&ANaval ArchivesNaval GunneryRoyal Navy
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Question

How early could Britain develop the technology behind the 16-inch Mark III, and were longer heavy guns already being explored?

Short answer

The relevant technology is placed around 1920, while fragmentary evidence suggests Elswick tested a very long 15-inch gun around 1917-18, possibly a 15-inch/58.

Notes

The technology behind the 16-inch Mark III concept is placed around 1920, allowing for further refinement. A separate archival note describes Elswick producing and testing a super-long 15-inch gun around 1917-18. A 15-inch/58 identification is tentative: it combines the description with an estimate of the longest weapon the company could have produced then. The surviving fragment establishes less than a complete design history, so the proposed caliber length remains uncertain.