Two-inch gun-calibre steps could produce a 16-inch Queen Elizabeth class

Would larger gun-calibre jumps have improved Britain's pre-First-World-War battleships?

Possibly. A 12-to-14-inch step could lead to 16-inch Queen Elizabeths, although the historical 13.5-inch choice was easier to support logistically.

The stated preference is for roughly two-inch increases in battleship gun calibre. Under that scheme, Britain would move from 12-inch to 14-inch weapons instead of adopting the historical 13.5-inch step. The Queen Elizabeth class might then receive 16-inch guns, creating a wider apparent margin over German 12-inch armament. The discussion acknowledges that logistics and other practical constraints made the smaller historical jump easier. This remains a counterfactual design preference rather than a claim that the larger steps carried no cost.