Why 10-inch guns sit awkwardly between cruiser and battleship weapons

Would British 10-inch-gun large cruisers force Germany to redesign the Panzerschiffe?

Germany would respond, but Britain would more plausibly choose 9.2-inch guns because 10-inch weapons impose battleship costs without battleship effect.

The proposed British large cruiser would probably use 9.2-inch guns rather than 10-inch weapons. A 10-inch mounting approaches capital-ship weight and loading demands, which reduces the cruiser's rate-of-fire advantage. The shell still lacks the decisive power of a 12-inch gun. Germany might respond to the British design, but the awkward 10-inch compromise would give both navies reasons to choose another calibre.