Although every main turret sat forward, the third turret could not fire directly over the bow, and none could cover a ship directly astern. Bringing the full battery onto a target required roughly 22.5 degrees of angle. Maneuvering through that angle could cost the first salvos of an encounter, when early hits might be decisive. The weakness followed a fleet-action model derived from Jutland and became more serious in later task-force warfare, where the enemy could appear from less convenient bearings.
Chapter · 56:51-1:05:57
The tactical cost of an all-forward main battery
The Nelson layout protected vital spaces efficiently but restricted forward and aft fire when a battle refused to follow the expected geometry.