Winning political support for this technically counterintuitive reform would have been difficult. A less energetic but more stable filling could sound like a weaker product to politicians or reporters who lacked naval-gunnery expertise. Contemporary misunderstandings of gun calibre existed alongside the detailed naval information published in works such as Brassey's Naval Annual. Abundant technical information did not automatically produce informed public debate or effective procurement oversight.
Notable Point · 4:32-6:10
Technical literacy shaped the politics of shell reform
The case for a less energetic but more dependable shell had to survive a public and political information environment in which even basic gun terminology could be misunderstood.