Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 7:07-7:40

The 9.2-inch gun as a natural cruiser calibre

Hear why the 9.2-inch gun was a recurring upper-end cruiser weapon whose development was interrupted by treaty limits.

9.2-inch GunsArmoured CruisersNaval GunneryNaval TreatiesShip Design
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Question

Would 9.2-inch guns have made technical and logistical sense on a Royal Navy super-cruiser?

Short answer

Yes. The 9.2-inch gun was a well-established upper-end cruiser weapon that might have returned without treaty restrictions.

Notes

A question about a Royal Navy super-cruiser places the 9.2-inch calibre in a longer design tradition. It was regularly used before the First World War and remained in service on some wartime ships. Without the naval treaties, it may have been a natural calibre to revive for large cruisers. The Orlando class's armament therefore sits near the later boundary between cruiser firepower and capital-ship weapons.