Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:38:23-1:39:02

Would a fifteen-gun Edinburgh have Nelson-like fire-arc problems?

A fifteen-gun Edinburgh is compared with the Brooklyn class and is not expected to inherit the Nelson class's restricted firing arcs.

Edinburgh Class CruisersLight CruisersNaval GunneryTown Class Light Cruisers (1936)Turret Design
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Question

Would a fifteen-gun Edinburgh-class cruiser suffer restricted firing arcs like HMS Nelson?

Short answer

No. A Brooklyn-like five-triple arrangement should work, while the proposed quadruple turrets posed the greater difficulty.

Notes

A five-turret light cruiser should not be equated with HMS Nelson's all-forward capital-ship arrangement. The Brooklyn class demonstrates that fifteen 6-inch guns can be arranged without producing the same restricted arcs. Its workable five-triple layout contrasts with the Royal Navy's more ambitious proposal for sixteen guns in four quadruple turrets. Turret count alone does not determine firing arcs or mechanical practicality; mounting design and placement matter just as much.