Armour changes collide with a ship already under construction

The discussion frames Hood's armour as an attempt to improve a ship while its structure and equipment were already taking shape. Adding weight high in the hull can require reinforcement, while the location of a carrier's strength deck governs whether an armoured hangar arrangement is practical. Treaty limits also leave less displacement available for aircraft, machinery, or other equipment when protection grows. The larger lesson is that major protection improvements are structural decisions, not bolt-on upgrades.