Why 9.2-inch guns could beat 10-inch guns

Would a British response to Alaska have used 10-inch or 12-inch guns?

The preferred compromise would be 9.2-inch guns: close to 10-inch performance but with a more useful cruiser-gun rate of fire and less complexity.

The 10-inch gun is described as awkwardly close to battleship-gun weight and complexity without delivering 12-inch firepower. A 9.2-inch weapon could retain much of the penetration while behaving more like a cruiser gun in rate of fire. It would also avoid adding another battleship-scale calibre to a fleet already supporting 14- and 16-inch weapons. The answer is a useful reminder that calibre alone does not determine a practical armament choice.