What if Britain's last pre-Dreadnought orders had already standardized on 13.5-inch guns?
Short answerDreadnought would likely carry 13.5-inch guns, pushing later British classes toward even larger weapons while simplifying early ammunition standardization.
NotesAn established 13.5-inch production base would make the same calibre a natural choice for Dreadnought. The Orion generation could then move to 15-inch guns and the Queen Elizabeths to still larger weapons. Earlier standardization would simplify the logistics of the first all-big-gun fleet even as it accelerated the international calibre race. The counterfactual changes both the size of individual ships and the industrial rhythm of British naval gunnery.