Q&A · 2:22:54-2:23:29

What makes a coastal-defence battleship?

Heavy armour and guns were concentrated in a smaller, slower, short-range ship designed to make attacks near its own coast expensive.

Armour Coastal Defence Ships Deterrence Naval Guns Naval Strategy

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Question

What exactly is a coastal battleship?

Short answer

A short-range, slow, heavily armed and armoured ship built to deter stronger fleets near its own coast.

Notes

Coastal battleships combine large guns and heavy armour with short range and relatively low speed. Their smaller size makes them cheaper than battleships intended for the high seas. These tradeoffs suit defence near home waters. Long ocean passages are outside the role for which that combination is intended.