A broad hull built to absorb damage

The class's roughly four-to-one length-to-beam ratio produced an extremely broad, shallow hull with substantial buoyant volume. Internal subdivision meant that damage could flood individual spaces without quickly overcoming the rest of the ship's reserve buoyancy, while large torpedo bulges absorbed attacks from the sides. Roberts survived two 500-kilogram bombs during Operation Torch, was repaired, and returned for Salerno and Normandy. Abercrombie repeatedly struck contact mines yet remained afloat, with the forward bulges, armour, and many intervening bulkheads helping keep damage away from the turret and magazines. Those examples show why survivability mattered more than speed for a vessel expected to sit close to defended shores.