Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:17:23-2:22:24

The practical limit of World War II armour

The question of maximum armour thickness becomes a discussion of industrial capacity, inclined belts, turret faces, and the cost of simply adding steel.

BattleshipsNaval ArchitectureWarship ArmourWorld War II
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Question

What was the thickest armour each naval power could have made in World War II?

Short answer

Britain and the United States likely had the greatest industrial potential, but practical design favoured balancing plate thickness, slope, weight, and ship performance.

Notes

Britain and the United States likely had the industrial capacity to make exceptionally thick plate, while Japanese turret faces illustrate how far armour could be taken. Thicker is not automatically better: sloping armour can increase effective protection while saving weight for speed and other necessities. Armour design is an engineering balance rather than a contest to produce the largest plate.