Lion could bring all eight 13.5-inch guns into a broadside. Indefatigable's eight 12-inch guns offered a more restricted practical broadside because firing a wing turret across the ship was unattractive in combat. Its layout offered different end-on firing arcs, but Lion was the preferred ship for facing another battlecruiser. Indefatigable's main role remained overpowering enemy cruisers. The approximate speed comparison, 28 knots against about 25, reinforced the difference in combat roles.
Notable Point · 19:08-20:16
Lion's broadside and the cruiser-hunting tradeoff
Lion combined a practical eight-gun 13.5-inch broadside with greater speed for fighting enemy battlecruisers.