A Tillman-inspired American super-battleship begins with fifteen 18-inch guns, long-range secondaries, and underwater torpedo tubes. Fitting that armament leaves little displacement for additional armor. Enemy fire cooks off its ammunition, prompting a reduction to 28 knots and more protection. Continued losses lead to a 26-knot version with twenty 18-inch guns in quadruple turrets. More armor and a larger battery still fail to produce the expected result against the German opponent. Later revisions cut weight from weapons intended for ranges the ship is trying to avoid.
Chapter · 5:16:51-6:15:54
An 18-inch-gun super-battleship and the armor penalty
A heavily armed design demonstrates how giant guns, secondary range, torpedoes, speed, and magazine armor compete for displacement.