The Rodney-derived design begins as a 33-knot dream ship with maximum beam and draft, oil fuel, layered torpedo protection, reinforced bulkheads, and extensive flooding control. Its intended battery reaches fifteen 16.5-inch guns, backed by enough six-inch weapons to make close attack costly from several directions. Weight, pitch, machinery efficiency, range, and protection force repeated adjustments before the hull can be accepted. The final roughly 86,000-ton concept retains exceptional main-battery power and so much secondary fire that it is jokingly said to escort itself, an exaggerated demonstration of unconstrained capital-ship design.
Chapter · 2:32:56-2:50:17
A Rodney-hulled super-battleship escorts itself
An 86,000-ton fast battleship combines fifteen 16.5-inch guns with heavy secondary fire, strong underwater protection, and long range.