Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:48:27-2:48:51

Why a post-Hawkins cruiser would use a 9.2-inch gun

The 9.2-inch choice follows from a suitable gun becoming available after Hawkins, rather than simply repeating late nineteenth-century armoured-cruiser practice.

9.2-inch GunsHawkins Class Heavy CruisersHeavy CruisersNaval GunsRoyal Navy
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Question

Was the preference for 9.2-inch post-Hawkins cruisers based only on earlier armoured-cruiser practice?

Short answer

No; a suitable 9.2-inch gun was becoming available at the relevant time.

Notes

A suitable 9.2-inch gun was becoming available at the relevant time, which drives the preference for that calibre in a post-Hawkins cruiser. Earlier armoured-cruiser practice is insufficient by itself to explain the choice. Surviving examples in Australia are mentioned as a way to identify the gun being discussed. The passage links cruiser armament to the availability of an actual weapon at the moment of design.