Early American layouts show how a ship can concentrate more guns on useful arcs without putting heavy turrets at the hull's extremities. Superfiring positions improve broadside and end-on fire while avoiding some of the structural and stability penalties associated with wing turrets. Turret arrangement consequently became a central dreadnought-design problem.
Notable Point · 12:54-14:35
Why centreline and superfiring turrets mattered
The South Carolina and Delaware layouts illustrate why superfiring, centreline turrets offered cleaner firing arcs than wing-turret arrangements.