USS Hull, a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer, tested the lightweight Mark 71 8-inch/55 gun. A personal preference for bringing it into service leads to a counterfactual in which 8-inch guns become standard on modern escorts. The larger shell would provide more room for guidance and other capabilities than the smaller calibres commonly fitted. That possibility remains a proposal about an alternative development path: the gun did not enter service.
Notable Point · 21:06-21:58
USS Hull tests the Mark 71 8-inch gun
USS Hull's Mark 71 trial prompts a counterfactual about making 8-inch guns standard on modern escorts and using their larger shells for guidance and other functions.