The Españas are the smallest dreadnoughts built, at about 15,000 tons normal and 16,000 tons full load. Their short hull and compact superstructure place the muzzles of the wing turrets beyond the structure when firing ahead or astern. That geometry reduces the blast-damage objection that normally makes wing turrets unattractive. Their layout shows why a turret arrangement has to be judged alongside hull proportions. The ships' tiny scale makes this a rare case in which wing turrets make practical sense.
Chapter · 12:02-13:18
Why the compact España class made wing turrets work
The 15,000-ton España class shows how an unusually compact hull could make a wing-turret arrangement less damaging to the ship's superstructure.