Admiral-class battleships carried weapons for every threat layer

Admiral-class battleships were expected to confront several threat types without relying on a large escort package. Their main armament addressed the major threats for which a battleship was built, while lighter quick-firing weapons protected the close approaches from torpedo craft. That layered armament let one battleship arrive as a self-contained instrument of coercion, especially against a minor naval power. Even a successful attack on one ship could exhaust much of a smaller opponent's available force before additional British units appeared. Torpedo-boat defence supplemented the main offensive weapons so the battleship could confront small attackers while retaining its primary role.