Preparing old battleships to absorb mine damage

The proposed method places older battleships at the front, with newer and more capable ships farther back. The leading two or three ships in each line would first enter dock so suitable unoccupied compartments could be sealed and filled with cork. Occupying those spaces with buoyant material would reduce the volume able to flood after a mine strike. Their role required accepting severe damage, potentially leaving them useful only for beaching after reaching Constantinople. Older battleships were judged more expendable than cruisers and destroyers, and their wider hulls could open a broader passage. This was a proposed preparation, not work the historical assault fleet had already completed.