Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:36:11-2:37:46

If the King George V class entered service earlier

Earlier construction could bring the Lion class forward and give the Royal Navy more time to resolve faults in the 14-inch quadruple turrets.

14-inch Guns16-inch GunsAlternate HistoryKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Lion Class BattleshipsQuadruple TurretsRoyal Navy
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Question

Would the Royal Navy be better off if the King George V class were built in 1933-37?

Short answer

Yes; the quadruple turrets would have time to mature and the 16-inch Lion program could begin earlier.

Notes

Building the King George V class in 1933-37 could allow the older R-class battleships to enter reserve and bring the 16-inch Lion class forward. Earlier completion would also give the Royal Navy more time to make the 14-inch quadruple turrets work reliably. Quadruple mountings had less time to mature than triples. Their difficulty increased as more guns interacted within one mounting, including the effects of firing shocks through the system.