Q&A ยท 1:11:31-1:12:21

Making the least-bad battleship from wing turrets

A reluctant design exercise shows how echelon wing turrets trade structural and blast complications for a broader gun layout.

Question

If a 1911 battleship had to use wing turrets, what arrangement would be the least bad choice?

Short answer

He would use six turrets: two forward, two aft, and a staggered pair of wing turrets, with heavy twins on the wings and triple 14-inch centerline mounts.

Notes

The preferred solution is to avoid wing turrets, but a plausible 1911 arrangement can still be worked out. The layout places two turrets forward, two aft, and one on each wing, with the wing pair staggered so they can fire across the deck. Heavy twin mounts suit the wing positions, while triple 14-inch turrets sit on the centerline because each position imposes different weight and firing-arc constraints.