Q&A · 2:02:48-2:03:56

Starting Dreadnought with 13.5-inch guns

If pre-Dreadnought orders had standardized on 13.5-inch weapons, Dreadnought and later British capital ships could begin an even larger-calibre arms race.

Question

What if Britain's last pre-Dreadnought orders had already standardized on 13.5-inch guns?

Short answer

Dreadnought would likely carry 13.5-inch guns, pushing later British classes toward even larger weapons while simplifying early ammunition standardization.

Notes

An 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.