The Baltic mission called for fast ships able to clear cruisers and torpedo craft from a route into shallow water. A 9.2-inch battery would fire faster than the historical 15-inch guns and still overmatch the likely cruiser opposition. The preference for heavier weapons is interpreted here as Fisher's attempt to preserve his battlecruiser idea and his belief that speed could substitute for armor. Guns associated with three canceled R-class battleships went instead to Renown, Repulse, Courageous, Glorious, and monitors. Carrier construction offered another way to match these hulls to reconnaissance and strike tasks, while the gun choice followed Fisher's earlier concept.
Notable Point · 50:03-53:31
Why 9.2-inch guns suited Fisher's Baltic ships better
A faster-firing 9.2-inch battery better matched the shallow-water cruiser threat, while 15-inch guns reflected Fisher's effort to preserve his battlecruiser concept.