What could Germany gain by giving Scharnhorst a Nelson-style all-forward main-battery layout?
Short answerIt could allow better armour at the same speed, but the all-forward battery would be poorly placed for firing while retreating.
NotesA Nelson-style layout is expected to allow stronger armour while preserving Scharnhorst's speed. Its operational drawback would be the loss of main-gun fire directly astern while withdrawing from a British warship. A competing suggestion reverses the emphasis, placing two turrets aft and one forward, as on certain German cruisers. The disagreement concerns how well a turret arrangement serves a ship that may need to fight while retreating.