Q&A · 2:15:32-2:18:04

Why the Tiger class stopped at two twin turrets

High rate of fire turns an apparently modest gun battery into a demanding magazine and ammunition-mix problem.

Question

Does the Mark 26's ammunition demand help explain why the Tiger class carried only two twin turrets?

Short answer

Yes; sustaining the firing rate while carrying multiple shell types imposed a major magazine and ship-design burden.

Notes

A viewer links the Mark 26's appetite for ammunition to the Tiger class carrying only two twin turrets. The storage burden helps explain the layout. Designers still had to divide the magazine among armor-piercing, high-explosive, and anti-aircraft requirements while preserving useful firing endurance. The same arithmetic helps explain why later rapid-fire naval mountings often use a single gun even when the mechanism could drive more barrels.