Frequent 6-inch high-explosive fire could be more useful against moving infantry, destroyers, or a river crossing than occasional fire from an 18-inch gun aimed at a fixed target. Armour around the belt, turret, barbettes, and bulkheads left 1914 infantry with few effective answers against a moving firing platform. Two boilers, two engines, and two screws gave the ships redundancy and some chance of retaining mobility after a machinery failure or hit. Their broad, shallow hull limited speed, and a faster version likely would have needed a longer hull and more machinery, making the design materially larger.
Notable Point · 10:32-17:18
Six-inch firepower in a moving armoured platform
Rapid 6-inch fire, useful armour, and duplicated machinery made the small monitors difficult opponents for infantry and light naval forces.