More deck armour changes Hood's tactics, not her fate

Would three additional inches of deck armour save Hood, and how would it change her tactics?

It would extend Hood's preferred range against plunging fire, but extra deck armour alone would not guarantee survival and deeper belt protection might matter more.

Armour is a tactical variable as well as a design statistic. Three additional inches of deck protection would not necessarily save Hood, while extending the lower belt deeper might address a different vulnerability. Plunging fire becomes more dangerous as range increases and shell trajectories steepen, so a thicker deck extends the outer boundary of Hood's favorable engagement band. Commanders could remain farther away while still exploiting the ship's preferred protection geometry. Extending the main belt was possible in a refit, though the cost made it easier to include in the original design.