Churchill is associated here with an attraction to Nelson and Rodney as powerful bastions, but their place in a moving fleet is questioned. Their low speed and all-forward guns made them awkward choices for the end of a formation, where threats might approach from several bearings. The hypothetical British 18-inch-gun design discussed just before them shares the same limitation. The planned South Dakota class provides the opposite example because its battery could fire around the ship. Capital-ship flexibility depended on gun arcs and fleet station as well as shell size.
Notable Point · 24:53-25:36
Nelson, Rodney, and the value of all-round fire
Nelson and Rodney’s speed and all-forward battery made them awkward fleet-end ships, while the South Dakota concept offered more flexible all-round gunfire.