Forensic structural analysis asks what physical design decisions reveal alongside the written record. Surviving papers provide only a snapshot of the documents people preserved and what authors chose to write down. The ship's configuration supplies another historical source. Comparing the G3's six-inch and 4.7-inch weapons with the Admiral class's 5.5-inch guns raises questions that a simple chronological list cannot answer. Working backward from what each calibre could do, and from how many mounts were planned, can reveal the threats and missions designers expected. This method supplements documentary research and tests whether an accepted explanation fits the material evidence.
Notable Point · 30:55-32:58
Reading design evidence against surviving paperwork
Gun types and quantities preserve evidence of intended missions that surviving documents may not state plainly.