Ships ordered to the same design could acquire different dimensions during construction. Individual yards modified plans to suit their facilities and skills. In the Royal Navy, the Director of Naval Construction could approve or reject those changes and require the yard to retain the intended form. French yards had greater freedom to redesign a ship, helping explain the larger differences within some French classes.
Notable Point · 11:25-12:14
Why ships from one class could differ between yards
Yards adapted common designs to their facilities and methods, with central control limiting those changes more closely in the Royal Navy.