The Royal Navy declined some opportunities to adopt triple turrets or move earlier to heavier guns. The St Vincent class is cited as a case where 13.5-inch guns were available as a choice, yet the navy retained 12-inch weapons. While the 15-inch gun was under development, private firms were already marketing a 16-inch gun to Brazil. British companies still built full-size battleship guns on speculation, hoping to sell them either to the navy or to foreign customers. That commercial development gave Britain alternatives beyond the equipment ordered for its current fleet, while German practice centred on Krupp and a more conservative progression from 12-inch to 15-inch guns.
Notable Point · 22:39-24:25
Private gun development outpaced conservative Royal Navy orders
British armament firms developed heavy guns for possible naval and export sales while the Royal Navy often chose more conservative designs.