Automation and more maintainable 76 mm systems are presented as reasons to examine the actual staffing burden of extra mounts. The follow-up then compares two mounts near home with three or four on a distant deployment. Losing one of two removes half the mounts, while a larger installation can preserve more coverage during repairs. Twin mounts concentrate firepower but can make access to internal equipment harder. Large motors are especially troublesome because spares may not be carried and heavy components are difficult to manoeuvre inside a crowded turret. Motor windings also have to retain their electrical insulation. The argument for redundancy accepts a maintenance cost and weighs it against being short of defensive coverage when repairs cannot be completed.
Notable Point · 3:46:30-3:54:33
Why extra gun mounts matter far from a repair base
Additional mounts can preserve defensive coverage when a failure cannot be repaired at sea, though maintenance and crew demands still have to be paid for.