One cautious interpretation assigns part of the Lion-class gun difficulty to automation goals alongside the 16-inch gun itself. By the Lion-class period, suitable sensing and control systems were more plausible than they had been during the F2 and F3 studies. British designers may have been trying to automate more of the firing sequence so that the turret could use fewer people and occupy less space. The surviving evidence does not justify claiming a completely automatic loading cycle. An ambitious manpower and turret-design goal may help explain difficulties often attributed only to gun caliber.
Notable Point · 26:19-28:01
Automation ambitions behind the Lion-class guns
The Lion-class gun difficulty may have reflected British efforts to shrink turret crews and automate more of the firing cycle.