Why did the King George V battleships only have 14" Guns? Why not 15", or 16" like the Nelson class?
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ANSWERS: 1
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There were several practical reasons. First, the 14" were cheaper and lighter so that one could have more guns, or a more conventional number and save weight for armor or speed. The KGVs had 10 guns and heavier armor. Second, the 14" guns were very good, dependable guns. The Royal Navy deduced that in normal battle conditions, particularly in the poor weather of the North Sea, ship combat would not occur at ranges where the larger guns would have any advantage. Lastly, England had a large number of the 14" on hand and ready to install making the KGV class cheap (comparatively) and quick to build and deploy.
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