Why end-on fire makes bow and stern dangerous

A real naval principle underpins the fictional critique: a hit entering through the bow or stern can travel along much more of a ship than a crossing shot. A broadside hit presents a larger target, but the projectile may enter and leave without passing through every vital space. End-on fire is more likely to encounter propulsion, magazines, control spaces, or other critical systems somewhere along its path. Navies have therefore tried to give ships some bow and stern coverage even when the heaviest battery remains broadside-oriented.