The Royal Navy had developed a between-decks 4.5-inch mount, but its upper-deck version was still unfinished. Another year or two of peace might have allowed destroyers to receive the new high-angle weapon. Existing 4.7-inch guns emphasized surface action and low-angle fire against aircraft attacking other ships. Interwar exercises encouraged air attacks on conspicuous capital ships because aircraft had limited time to attack. Wartime aircrews were willing to strike other available targets, exposing destroyers to attacks that this exercise pattern had understated.
Notable Point · 7:08-9:06
Technology and exercises can mislead doctrine
Interwar exercises and available gun mounts influenced how navies expected destroyers to fight, sometimes on assumptions war overturned.