Harvey armour, nickel steel, and the visible gun layout show that the Royal Sovereigns were conceived around an actual battleship engagement. Part of their design ancestry reaches back to the Admiral class, rather than solely to the immediately preceding Victoria and Trafalgar classes. That longer comparison presents naval design as a selective use of earlier lessons rather than a simple ship-by-ship progression. Together, the materials and fighting layout explain why Repulse looked like a new generation.
Notable Point · 8:44-9:49
Harvey armour and a battleship built to fight
New armour materials and a coherent fighting layout distinguish the Royal Sovereigns from earlier ironclad battleships.