Heavy turrets placed high in a ship require balancing weight lower down, while armour, engines, torpedo defence, and ballast all influence stability. The Iowa and 1939 King George V classes show why a steady sea platform is central to gunnery. Reports that HMS Nelson or HMS Rodney might have drained liquid from torpedo-defence spaces to reduce displacement or gain speed remain uncertain. Removing that low weight would also change the ship's metacentric height, make the gun platform less stable, and produce a less comfortable motion at sea. A seemingly simple weight saving could therefore affect both survivability and the ability to aim the main battery.
Chapter · 1:08:29-1:10:48
Ship stability was a gunnery requirement
High turret weight, low ballast and machinery, hull shape, and liquid-filled torpedo defence spaces all affected whether a battleship remained a useful gun platform.