Q&A ยท 15:40-16:09

Lord Nelson and the transition from casemates to turrets

The Lord Nelson class shows that twin secondary turrets and casemates overlapped during the transition to new capital-ship layouts.

Question

Which British capital ships used twin-turret secondary batteries during the move away from casemates?

Short answer

The Lord Nelson class used twin 9.2-inch secondary turrets, part of a transitional period in which turreted batteries and casemates overlapped.

Notes

The Lord Nelson class carried twin 9.2-inch secondary turrets, so British capital ships used turreted secondary batteries before the dreadnought era. Casemates did not vanish at a single design boundary; different arrangements overlapped during a transition. The unusually heavy 9.2-inch battery also blurs the line between a secondary weapon and a second main calibre. It is a compact example of warship categories lagging behind design change.