Dockyard limits constrained five-turret cruiser layouts

Designers could not lengthen a cruiser indefinitely simply to add a fifth main turret. The ship still had to fit the ports, harbours, and docks in the Royal Navy's operating system. Shore infrastructure therefore imposed a fleet-wide limit on a seemingly self-contained armament decision. A five-turret arrangement was also inherently awkward, reinforcing why theoretical firepower did not automatically produce a practical design.