Abercrombie-class monitors: 14-inch guns close inshore

The Abercrombie class was designed quickly around 14-inch turrets from Bethlehem Steel. The guns had been intended for a Greek battleship under construction in Germany, and the ships were at one point considered for names honouring American generals in the hope that the United States might enter the war on Britain's side. A high tripod mast gave the gunnery team an elevated observation position. The broad, shallow hull was designed to survive mine or torpedo damage close to shore. Plans to carry a turret-top seaplane and its heavy crane disappeared once land-based spotting aircraft proved more useful. HMS Raglan's loss at the Battle of Imbros shows the limits of that protection.