Q&A: would a Nelson-type Royal Oak have survived?

Would Royal Oak's crew have fared better if the ship had been a Nelson-class replacement?

Probably. A Nelson-type ship would still be damaged, but its more extensive built-in torpedo protection should have improved survival.

A hypothetical Nelson-class replacement for Royal Oak would probably have survived the Scapa Flow torpedo attack more effectively. The newer ship would still suffer serious damage because no protective system makes multiple torpedo hits harmless. Its advantage would be a much more extensive torpedo-defence scheme incorporated from the beginning. Royal Oak's protection was constrained by an older hull and later additions. The answer uses the counterfactual to show why integral underwater protection can matter more than headline armour thickness.