Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 59:25-1:01:53

How early US 16-inch guns accelerate the dreadnought race

Putting 16-inch guns into the early US Standard-type battleships could push Britain toward larger weapons and make 18-inch treaty-era capital ships much more likely.

Naval Arms RaceNaval GunneryStandard Type BattleshipsUS Navy
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Question

What if Josephus Daniels allowed the US Navy to arm its Standard-type battleships with 16-inch guns after 1913?

Short answer

It would accelerate the international caliber race, likely producing British 16-inch ships sooner and making 18-inch treaty designs far more plausible.

Notes

The American caliber decision would become an international signal rather than a change confined to one navy. If ships after Nevada carried 16-inch guns, the Royal Navy would likely answer with at least 16-inch weapons and perhaps move toward 18-inch designs. Hood, the G3 battlecruisers, and the N3 battleships could consequently emerge with much heavier armament. At the Denmark Strait, an 18-inch-armed Hood would pose a qualitatively different threat to Bismarck, illustrating how an early design choice could cascade across several fleets and treaties.