España's compact dreadnought layout

The arrangement could theoretically bring six guns to bear ahead or astern, giving a compact ship substantial end-on fire. All four turrets sat at the same level, simplifying the silhouette while making cross-deck arcs part of the design. The 140-meter hull and British technical assistance produced a genuine dreadnought on unusually little displacement. A centerline superfiring layout would probably have required only modest increases in beam and length.