Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 58:43-59:10

Later British designs moved away from Nelson's all-forward battery

Later 16-inch concepts retained triple turrets but restored an aft mounting instead of repeating Nelson's complete forward concentration.

Capital Ship DesignKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Nelson Class Battleships
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Question

Did the Royal Navy consider an updated Nelson-class layout for the ships that became the King George V class?

Short answer

Not directly; later 16-inch concepts would probably have restored an aft turret rather than repeat the all-forward layout.

Notes

The Royal Navy did not seriously plan a simple updated Nelson when designing the next generation. It remained interested in developing 16-inch guns and triple mounts. The likely alternative to the 14-inch King George V arrangement would have placed one of three triple turrets aft. British designers could preserve useful gunnery technology while rejecting Nelson's most restrictive layout choice.