Q&A · 3:29:34-3:30:13

Why the King George V class mixed quadruple and twin turrets

A battleship-design answer traces the King George V class's unusual ten-gun battery to an original twelve-gun scheme constrained by displacement.

Question

Why did the King George V class use two quadruple turrets and one twin instead of three triples?

Short answer

The design began with three quadruple 14-inch turrets to preserve a twelve-gun broadside, but weight growth elsewhere forced one quadruple mounting to become a twin.

Notes

The 14-inch choice was intended to retain broadside weight through twelve barrels and a potentially higher rate of fire. As protection and other requirements consumed the available tonnage, replacing one quadruple turret with a twin preserved the design within its limits but created the class's distinctive mixed arrangement.