Concentrating Nelson's vital spaces allows a fixed armour-weight allowance to cover a shorter length more thickly. That protection underlies the suggestion that Nelson and Rodney together could hold off Yamato despite their lower speed and 16-inch guns. The proposed result is a costly resistance, with no assurance that both British ships survive. Hood is judged much less suited to a prolonged fight against an 18-inch battleship. The comparison concerns a hypothetical encounter and the value placed on heavy protection.
Notable Point · 50:49-52:25
Compact armour and a hypothetical fight with Yamato
Nelson's compact protected spaces support a conditional argument that Nelson and Rodney could hold off Yamato at considerable risk.