HMS Tiger's 6-inch guns made more sense if the battlecruiser was expected to hunt comparable ships yet risked a closer engagement. Royal Navy planners had to consider future enemy battlecruisers as well as the types already in service. A lightly protected fast capital ship had reason to end a gunnery duel quickly instead of absorbing repeated long-range hits. The secondary battery offered a practical answer to the trade-off between speed, protection, and stopping power.
Notable Point · 25:09-28:07
Six-inch guns and battlecruiser risk
A battlecruiser's secondary battery could matter when speed failed to keep an opponent at the preferred range.