Why Nelson and Rodney are so often misunderstood

Which warship design is most misunderstood?

Nelson and Rodney, especially their all-forward gun arrangement.

Nelson and Rodney attract a claim that their all-forward battery reflected a doctrine of charging the enemy and refusing to withdraw. The rearmost main turret cannot fire straight ahead, so the ships would have to approach at an angle to use the full battery. That firing geometry undermines the proposed explanation. French all-forward designs also show that the arrangement was not a uniquely British expression of national doctrine. Comparing turret arcs and other navies' designs provides a check on stories inferred from a ship's appearance.