A larger-gunned Neptune accelerates the dreadnought race

How would early British dreadnought development change if Neptune carried ten 13.5-inch guns and two similar ships followed?

Orion might repeat the 13.5-inch standard or trigger another rapid caliber jump, potentially bringing 15-inch and then 16.5-inch guns forward.

If Neptune already establishes a 13.5-inch battery, the next class could consolidate that design or become the next step in a faster escalation. The panel suggests this sequence might bring 15-inch guns forward and leave the Queen Elizabeth generation considering still larger weapons. An earlier caliber choice changes what counts as an incremental successor.