Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:02:06-2:02:37

Why not an Indian cruiser with triple six-inch turrets?

Triple six-inch cruiser armament belonged to a later technological moment, while Washington gave a 1920s builder no numerical reason to give up eight-inch guns.

6-inch Guns8-inch GunsCruisersRoyal Indian NavyTown Class Light Cruisers (1936)Washington Naval Treaty
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Question

Why not build Indian County-type cruisers with triple six-inch turrets?

Short answer

Because triple six-inch mountings were not yet available in the 1920s, and Washington placed no overall limit on the number of eight-inch cruisers.

Notes

A proposed Indian County derivative with triple six-inch turrets is anachronistic for the 1920s. No triple-six mounting was then available in the British system; HMS Enterprise's experimental installation used a twin turret. Washington also imposed no overall numerical ceiling on eight-inch cruisers, removing the later treaty incentive to trade gun size for more hulls. Town-class-style triple-six arrangements therefore belong to 1930s technology and policy rather than the immediate post-Washington choice.