World War II conning towers test whether a protected command position preserves useful combat capability. British captains preferred the bridge's wider view and richer flow of information. The King George V class therefore did without a traditional heavy conning tower, and modernizations of HMS Renown and HMS Queen Elizabeth removed theirs. Casualties on HMS Prince of Wales's bridge at the Battle of the Denmark Strait show the danger they accepted. A backup is useful only if the ship can still fight after switching to it.
Notable Point · 46:25-48:08
Conning towers and the limits of command protection
British battleship captains' preference for the open bridge shows why a protected backup can be rejected when it removes the information needed to fight effectively.