Amiral Duperre illustrates a French attempt to give a ship more fire directly ahead. Inward-sloping hull sides allowed gun positions on either beam to stand clear of the superstructure. Armored barbettes protected the loading and training positions while avoiding some of the weight and complexity of a fully armored turret. The arrangement placed four 340 mm guns singly, one forward, one aft, and one on each beam. Three could bear ahead, astern, or on a broadside.
Notable Point · 2:08:34-2:09:32
French barbettes and tumblehome widened firing arcs
Amiral Duperre's four-gun layout used hull shape and barbettes to put three guns on important bearings.