The imagined 4.7-inch solution gives up some advantages offered by specialist weapons. Four-inch ammunition was lighter, smaller, and easier for crews to handle rapidly at high angle. The 4.5-inch design became an effective compromise between that lighter gun and the established 4.7-inch weapon. British planners pursued the best answer for each role and accepted several ammunition, training, and mounting systems as a result. A common 4.7-inch gun offers broader operational and logistical value while remaining less suitable for some particular tasks.
Notable Point · 1:05:26-1:07:13
Why the Royal Navy kept specialist gun solutions
The conclusion weighs the appeal of a common 4.7-inch gun against the real virtues of lighter four-inch weapons and the highly capable 4.5-inch design.