Before radar fire control, battleship crews estimated range visually, fired a salvo, watched the fall of shot, and corrected the next one. Early rounds were therefore measuring tools as well as attacks. A twelve-gun King George V concept could ripple small groups of shells from its three turrets while other guns reloaded. Frequent observations could bring the firing solution onto the target faster than a calibre-only comparison suggests. Radar-directed gunnery changed the information problem, but most interwar gun and armour decisions were made before that capability was available.
Notable Point · 40:35-42:51
Why rate of fire mattered before radar fire control
Pre-radar battleship gunnery depended on observing successive salvos, making shell volume and correction speed part of effective hitting power.