Firing a 12-inch gun close to the superstructure imposed blast and overpressure unlike that from smaller weapons. Britain possessed the technology for 14-inch guns, triple turrets and superfiring layouts, so Dreadnought could have embodied a more radical break. Its actual turrets developed from pre-dreadnought practice and retained sighting hoods so crews could aim locally if director control failed. Firing directly over one of these positions risked damaging the hood or creating dangerous overpressure, although the exact danger depended on the system and whether the turret was battened down under central control. Peacetime training rules avoided the risk, while battle could justify accepting it. Rapid construction left the navy learning these limits after several ships had already been built.
Chapter · 2:22-7:14
A more radical Dreadnought and the limits of superfiring
Britain could have made Dreadnought a larger-calibre leap, but inherited turret features created blast and local-control problems once superfiring entered the design.