Torpedo launchers can sit on deck without requiring a direct path into the spaces below. Their reloads do not have to sit directly beneath the launcher, which gives designers more freedom over the internal arrangement. Gun turrets may pierce the deck and require ammunition-handling equipment beneath them. Those hidden demands consume space and weight before armour or extra subdivision enters the calculation.
Notable Point · 39:17-40:22
Gun mounts impose hidden structural costs
Gun turrets may need deck penetration and ammunition handling that deck-mounted torpedo launchers largely avoid.