Rather than relying only on an external belt, the design places armor around vital internal spaces. The outer hull could help disrupt or trigger incoming six- and eight-inch shells before fragments reached the protected boxes. The arrangement saved weight while preserving structural strength, and the forward pom-poms and machine guns still supplied a layered forward air-defense fit. Protection here is a system of hull structure, internal armor, and weapon placement rather than a single belt-thickness figure.
Notable Point · 36:07-41:12
Internal armor and survivability in the Town class
The Town-class protection scheme uses internal armor and the outer hull together to shield machinery, magazines, and other vital spaces.