By angling only modestly toward an opponent, Nelson could use six heavy guns and sometimes more while presenting a narrow target. The comparison with the King George V class shows how a conventional layout requires more broadside exposure to bring its battery to bear. A narrow aspect also makes the fore-and-aft distance of the target harder to judge and leaves machinery less exposed near the centre of aim. Three measures of efficiency follow: the hull power needed for speed, the utility of internal space, and the coverage supplied by weapon arcs. Together they provide concrete criteria for judging a warship design.
Notable Point · 41:11-44:03
Nelson's bow-on geometry and three kinds of efficiency
Nelson could fire a strong forward salvo from a narrow angle, complicating an opponent's range judgement while illustrating hull, internal-space, and firing-arc efficiency.