What would the 1910 Town-class cruisers look like in this alternate research programme?
Short answerThey might carry twin open mounts or a turreted six-inch battery, depending on whether earlier secondary-armament and superfiring trials had matured in time.
NotesThe capital-ship research programme would also affect smaller fleet types. Historically mixed four-inch and six-inch batteries might give way to twin open mounts or, if turret work matured, a more concentrated six-inch arrangement. Earlier experiments with secondary turrets and superfiring positions on armoured cruisers or battleships would reduce the risk of adopting them on a Town. One possible arrangement has six 6-inch guns in three twin turrets, two forward and one aft, with twin 4-inch mounts along the hull sides. The exact layout remains uncertain because the programme's intermediate trials would determine what was ready.