Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:06:24-2:06:47

Why pre-dreadnoughts were vulnerable to new underwater threats

Older battleships faced mines and submarine attack beyond their original design assumptions, while later bulging was possible only at the cost of scarce yard time.

Naval MinesPre-DreadnoughtsSubmarine WarfareTorpedo DefenceWorld War I
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Question

Were British pre-dreadnought losses to mines and submarines caused by threats the ships were never designed to face?

Short answer

Largely yes; bulges could help, but retrofitting them consumed valuable time in shipyards.

Notes

Pre-dreadnoughts had not been designed around the underwater threats they encountered during World War I. Anti-torpedo bulges could improve protection against mines and torpedoes, but fitting them required time and dockyard capacity that wartime fleets could not always spare.