Why armour became a naval requirement

Later criticism of John Fisher often focused on older ships discarded while resources were concentrated on Dreadnought-era battle power. Pacocha gives an earlier example of why fleet numbers could mislead. Shah and Amethyst were both newer than Huáscar, yet neither had the protection needed to confront the armoured monitor with confidence. A large fleet could therefore contain many hulls and still fail at a particular coercive mission. Huáscar's ability to drive off a Royal Navy force made armour a practical requirement for credible deterrence, combat power, and gunboat diplomacy.