Orion introduces superfiring centerline turrets fore and aft and carries ten 13.5-inch guns, giving all ten weapons a usable broadside. The heavier battery outguns Kaiser even though Kaiser's 13.8-inch belt remains thicker on paper. Both classes make 21 knots, but Britain can accept Orion's shorter cruising range because it has refueling and rearming bases around the world. The comparison brings gun power, armor, operating geography, and turret arrangement into the same design problem. Kaiser's apparently successful answer is overtaken almost as soon as it appears because the naval arms race has moved the standard again.
Chapter · 4:45-7:41
Orion makes the super-dreadnought leap
The Orion class combines centerline superfiring turrets with ten 13.5-inch guns, abruptly raising the standard Germany had just reached with Kaiser.