Q&A ยท 3:46:53-3:48:14

Nelson-class blast damage and training restrictions

Some elevations and bearings caused blast damage, so exercises restricted them. Combat could justify accepting that damage to fire on the enemy.

Question

Could Nelson-class gunfire damage the bridge, and what did the resulting firing restrictions mean?

Short answer

Some elevations and bearings caused blast damage, so exercises restricted them. Combat could justify accepting that damage to fire on the enemy.

Notes

Gun elevation and bearing determine how blast affects Rodney and the Nelson class. Firing the third turret back across the ship at certain elevations could damage bridge windows. Exercise restrictions are sometimes misread as proof that the guns could not fire at those angles, despite their use in operations. Training rules avoided repair costs that the exercise did not justify. In combat, sinking an enemy could justify accepting damage to the ship.