Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 28:20-30:31

How a 14-inch Dreadnought could accelerate gun-caliber competition

Starting the dreadnought era at 14 inches could push later British, American, and Japanese capital ships toward much larger guns before treaty limits arrive.

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Question

How might naval gun development change if Dreadnought had carried 14-inch guns?

Short answer

The entire caliber ladder could shift upward, potentially producing 18-inch British battleships and still larger American or Japanese designs before the Washington treaty.

Notes

Dreadnought came close to receiving 14-inch guns, which raises the consequences of moving the starting point upward. The next British step might then be 15.5 or 16 inches, leaving the Queen Elizabeth class to jump toward 18-inch weapons. Continued American and Japanese competition could plausibly produce 19-inch projects by the end of the First World War. The exercise is deliberately speculative, but it shows how an early technical choice can reshape later ships, treaty limits, and the design space that produced Nelson.