The repeated claim that Fisher wanted HMS Dreadnought armed with 10-inch guns does not match the design debate described here. Ten-inch weapons did appear among the early possibilities for the Invincible-class battlecruisers. Fisher removed them after 1904 testing showed that their rate of fire was too slow for a cruiser and their shells too weak for a battleship. He selected 12-inch guns for the battlecruisers, while Dreadnought's serious debate concerned 12-inch and 14-inch weapons. Comparative trials eliminated an attractive middle-caliber option before it became a Dreadnought proposal.
Notable Point · 16:30-17:28
Fisher's tests rule out the Dreadnought 10-inch-gun myth
Fisher's 1904 testing made 10-inch guns unattractive for both cruisers and battleships, leaving Dreadnought's serious debate between 12- and 14-inch weapons.