The counterfactual keeps the 5.25-inch gun as a common postwar Royal Navy armament instead of dividing development between 4.5-inch and six-inch weapons. Cruisers, destroyers, and frigates would use the intermediate calibre. The idea is compared with the Soviet 130 mm standard. A possible American reaction is framed as pressure to match the other navies' calibre, with the earlier perceived cruiser gap used as an analogy.
Notable Point · 3:45:30-3:46:34
A postwar Royal Navy standardized on 5.25-inch guns
A common 5.25-inch armament for postwar British cruisers, destroyers, and frigates raises a hypothetical question about an American response.