The class's modest dimensions mattered more than prestige: its shallow draught enabled it to work near shore while delivering a heavy shell. Their weapons were not fixed in a capital-ship pattern. Guns could be exchanged, removed for Army use, or supplemented as operational circumstances changed. Small ships commanded by junior or reserve officers could be modified with a pragmatism that would have been impossible aboard a battleship, provided the available weapon fitted and worked.
Chapter · 14:19-18:28
Shallow draught, surplus guns, and adaptable fittings
A six-foot-nine draught let M15 monitors bring cruiser-derived 9.2-inch guns into waters inaccessible to larger warships.