Why did the Imperieuse class retain a stern gallery despite its otherwise forward-looking cruiser design?
Short answerThe ships were intended as station flagships, so they needed additional accommodation for an admiral and staff; the lozenge battery still gave them flexible combat arcs.
NotesThe stern arrangement looks conservative beside the ship's armament, but a distant-station flagship needed room for an admiral and staff. The gallery and additional accommodation therefore served a command function rather than merely preserving an old-fashioned silhouette. Its lozenge gun layout allowed several weapons to bear across different directions. Those flexible arcs suited an armoured cruiser expected to fight independently more often than as one unit in a formal battle line.