Chatfield's King George V concept depended on three quadruple fourteen-inch turrets delivering a weight of fire comparable to nine sixteen-inch guns. The gamble failed because quadruple mountings proved heavier and more complicated than expected, preventing the intended twelve-gun battery from working as planned. Chatfield was among the few officers willing to accept the smaller calibre. An unconstrained Royal Navy would therefore have been unlikely to accept anything below sixteen-inch weapons. A likely battery was nine guns, combining heavy hitting power with less dependence on the quadruple-turret gamble.
Notable Point · 58:39-59:27
Chatfield's fourteen-inch gamble points toward a nine-gun alternative
Admiral Chatfield hoped twelve fourteen-inch guns would match the weight of fire of nine sixteen-inch weapons, but the difficulty of quadruple turrets strengthens the case for a preferred British design with nine sixteen-inch guns.