An item referred to the
Naval&Military Record dated 30 June 1920 reporting that in the First World War 4-45cm/17.7” guns were made for the monitors which bombarded the Flemish coast. The company at Elswick [Armstrong?] manufactured even an experimental 50cm/19.7” gun with a weight of 180 ton due to an initiative of Lord Fisher.(1) For the designed battle cruiser Incomparable (2) which was however not laid down were 6 of such guns manufactured preventing that England was prepared if foreign navies were enlarging the calibre of their armament. The firm Hadfield produced 50cm shells with a weight of around 1.500 kilo able to pierce armour with a thickness of 75centimetres over a distance of 18 kilometres.
Notes
1. John Arbuthnot Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher (25 January 1841 Ramboa, Ceylon-10 July 1920 London, England), First Sea Lord 1904-1910 and 1914-1915.
2. Main armament was to consist 3x2-50,8cm/20” breech loading guns. With a standard displacement 46.738 tons and as dimensions 304,8 x 21,7 x 7,3 (deep load) metres. Proposed in 1915.
