A hypothetical continuation of the G3 and N3 design style into the mid-1940s uses quadruple 20-inch turrets. The proposal draws objections that the guns and mountings are too large and slow. The main technical criticism concerns reloading: very large weapons risk giving up firing frequency as their calibre grows. Exceptionally large guns are entertained for a one-off prestige flagship, which is a different requirement from producing a practical class of battleships.
Notable Point · 4:05:41-4:07:46
Reloading limits in a hypothetical 20-inch-gun battleship
A proposed 20-inch battery raises the cost of increasing calibre in reload time and distinguishes a prestige flagship from practical fleet construction.