Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:04:33-1:05:24

Why did the 4.5-inch UD mount disappoint?

The upper-deck 4.5-inch mount worked on a cruiser but imposed too much space, weight, and mechanical burden for the destroyers it was meant to equip.

4.5-inch GunsBattle Class DestroyersDaring Class Destroyers (1949)Naval WeaponsWarship Design
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Question

What was wrong with the 4.5-inch upper-deck mounts?

Short answer

They demanded too much space and weight and had bearing problems, making them workable on cruisers but unsuitable for the destroyers they were intended to arm.

Notes

The upper-deck concept promised a lighter and easier installation than a below-deck mounting. In practice, its space and weight demands, together with bearing problems, made it unsuitable for destroyer hulls even though a cruiser could accommodate it. The Battle class therefore used the BD mounting. A successful UD mount would have allowed a three-turret layout closer to the later Daring class. Existing BD production also favored that choice.