Rivadavia's American-built layout used wing turrets capable of cross-deck fire, theoretically adding two main guns to the broadside. The gain came with a severe blast penalty: firing the forward wing turret across the deck threatened several six-inch guns on the opposite side. A destroyer approaching from astern would also face only a very small part of the secondary battery. The ship's 22.5-knot speed represented only a modest gain despite a large turbine installation. Together these compromises show how impressive paper arcs and machinery figures could conceal practical tactical vulnerabilities.
Chapter · 2:12:11-2:15:34
Rivadavia's cross-deck fire tradeoffs
Argentina's American-built dreadnoughts gained a stronger theoretical broadside at the cost of dangerous blast effects and weak stern defense against destroyers.