Japan might order another pair of Kongo-type ships or accelerate its next programme if two Dominion 13.5-inch ships were based nearby. The Anglo-Japanese alliance would not eliminate concern about the local balance, and a 14-inch gun offered only a small advantage over 13.5 inches. Money and personnel still constrained the Eight-Eight Fleet, so an enlarged Twelve-Twelve Fleet is rejected as the likely response. The United States could also press its 16-inch gun development earlier. In this argument, the increased concentration of heavy guns in the Pacific raises both operational concerns and the status attached to a new gun calibre.
Chapter · 1:10:29-1:12:42
Dominion Lions and the Pacific gun race
Pacific Dominion Lions could hasten Japanese construction within Eight-Eight Fleet limits and increase interest in heavier American guns.