The class's generally strong hull and protection can be separated from its main-battery decision. Britain hoped 14-inch guns would support treaty restraint even while Japan was leaving that framework, and the choice added another ammunition calibre to a worldwide logistics system already built around 15-inch shells. Quadruple mounts multiplied mechanical complexity, contributing to persistent wartime reliability problems. Triple 15-inch mounts could have avoided the failures that left Prince of Wales with only two working main guns at points during the Battle of the Denmark Strait.
Notable Point · 3:03:56-3:19:04
King George V: political calibre choice and complex turrets
The King George V class combined sound speed, protection, and range with a politically driven 14-inch armament and complex quadruple turrets.