The class had impressive armor and firepower, but moving the superstructure forward and placing one main turret aft would have produced a more balanced ship. Confined waters and rapidly changing threats made an all-forward battery less comfortable than a mixed arrangement. Nelson and Rodney could reinforce Mediterranean operations, yet were not the most flexible ships for routine employment there. A ship could be powerful in a planned engagement and still prove awkward in a theater where contact direction and maneuver were harder to control.
Notable Point · 1:09:53-1:11:21
Why balanced firing arcs mattered in the Mediterranean
A proposed Nelson redesign moves one turret aft to make the ship more adaptable in fast-changing Mediterranean actions.