The later conversion began with an awkward hull. Compared with Italian triple-turret practice, four triple 14-inch mountings could have retained a twelve-gun broadside while freeing internal volume for machinery. More power might have made the reconstructed ships faster and more useful alongside carriers. The six-twin layout followed established British and American patterns instead of optimizing around Japan's limited building capacity and likely opponents. This is an analytical counterfactual rather than a documented Japanese proposal, but it clarifies the opportunity cost built into the original arrangement.
Chapter · 2:07:13-2:20:13
Ise's six-turret layout constrained both modernization and conversion
Ise's six twin turrets consumed machinery and deck space that a four-triple-turret arrangement might have used more efficiently.