Naval technology developed in response to the needs and investment of a particular moment rather than along an automatic path. Armor plate and naval guns were advancing quickly, so a later shell of a nominally familiar calibre could be much more capable than the weapon a ship had originally been designed to resist. The Japanese Kongo-class ships illustrate the problem because cruisers hit them at unusually close range with more powerful six- and eight-inch weapons. Those hits do not by themselves prove that battlecruiser protection was inherently worthless.
Notable Point · 1:22-4:50
Why wartime pressure changes naval technology
An opening technology discussion uses the Kongos to show why armor and guns must be judged against the weapons, ranges, and development pressures of their own era.