A steep trajectory may threaten deck armour, but at close range a direct shell can penetrate without needing an extreme angle of fall. A top-trumps comparison that treats thicker armour as invulnerability misses how protection works. Armour is designed to provide first-hit survival against a specified calibre and range. Repeated hits in roughly the same area damage plates and supporting structure, weakening protection against later shells. Battleship armour provides endurance under cumulative attack, with protection degrading instead of functioning as a binary barrier.
Notable Point · 7:25-10:37
Armour buys time rather than invulnerability
Battleship armour is presented as protection against an initial hit at a designed range, not a guarantee against repeated accurate fire.