Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:05:41-3:06:27

How a 9.2-inch Hawkins changes cruiser treaties

Treaty negotiators would likely use the latest British cruiser as the caliber baseline.

9.2-inch GunsCruiser TreatiesHawkins Class Heavy CruisersNaval GunneryWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Would a 9.2-inch Hawkins make that caliber the Washington treaty cruiser limit?

Short answer

Likely yes, although other navies might push to round the ceiling up to 10 inches.

Notes

Treaty negotiators used recent ships as practical baselines rather than inventing cruiser limits in isolation. If Hawkins carried 9.2-inch guns, that caliber would probably replace the historical 8-inch ceiling. Other navies might seek a round 10-inch limit. Britain could still prefer the faster-firing 9.2-inch weapon because the incremental shell advantage would be small compared with the rate-of-fire cost.