A damaged turret photograph explains a destroyer design tradeoff. An enclosed mounting protects its crew against weather and splinters, but destroyer weight limits can force the surrounding metal to remain thin. A penetrating hit can then create a destructive blowout inside the enclosed space and kill the entire gun crew. The image turns the choice between open and enclosed mountings into a question of weight, protection, and how damage behaves after impact.
Notable Point · 2:18:24-2:18:59
Why lightweight destroyer turrets could become lethal traps
A photograph of turret damage illustrates why the Royal Navy was cautious about enclosing destroyer guns in mountings too light to resist a direct hit.