A heavier 16-inch shell was considered for Nelson and Rodney, but it would have required substantial changes to the hoists and handling machinery. The adopted gun-and-shell performance was chosen through trials that appeared convincing in theory. The discussion compares this with other tests that worked under trial conditions and then proved less satisfactory in practice. Ammunition choice therefore affected machinery below the turret as well as ballistic performance.
Notable Point · 3:49:19-3:49:48
The heavier 16-inch shell option and flawed trials
A heavier shell would have required new handling machinery, while the adopted 16-inch performance rested on trials that did not translate cleanly into practice.