Italy's Dante Alighieri combined twelve 12-inch guns in triple turrets with 22 knots, while the Conte di Cavour class carried thirteen 12-inch guns at 21.5 knots. In this scenario Italy could seek larger guns and higher speed, drawing on British turbine technology already circulating through Italian and Japanese construction. Japan had originally intended Satsuma to carry an all-12-inch main armament before adopting a mixed battery. Faced with a stronger British Dreadnought, Japan might repeat the later Kongo pattern by ordering a leading ship in Britain and building sisters at home to acquire the technology. A British starting point of 14-inch guns would raise the question of how far Japan would push its own preference for large guns and high speed. The United States would also face pressure to move beyond the 18.5-knot, eight-gun South Carolina and accelerate its own 14-inch guns and turbine propulsion.
Chapter · 1:53:48-2:02:08
Italy, Japan, and the United States answer Britain's leap
Britain's advance spreads through an internationally connected arms industry, prompting faster and more heavily armed designs in Italy, Japan, and the United States.