Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 35:27-35:43

Why County-class turret armor was hard to increase

Some County-class cruisers could receive more turret protection, but every added plate raised the ship's topweight.

County Class CruisersHeavy CruisersTopweightTurret ArmourWarship Design
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Question

Did the Royal Navy consider adding more armor to the County-class cruisers' 8-inch turrets?

Short answer

Yes for some ships, but extra turret protection was constrained by its effect on topweight and stability.

Notes

The Royal Navy did consider or undertake stronger turret protection on some ships. The limiting factor was not simply the availability of armor. Turrets sit high in the hull, so additional weight there has a disproportionate effect on stability. Any improvement therefore had to compete with the cruiser's other topweight demands rather than being a free upgrade.