Three contemporary designs show how an all-big-gun battery can be arranged. Nassau carries six twin turrets but can normally use only eight guns on a broadside, and firing the inner wing guns fore or aft risks blast damage to the superstructure. Delaware uses five centerline turrets to put ten guns on the beam. Minas Geraes also reaches a ten-gun broadside from six turrets through a different combination of centerline and wing positions. Displacement spent on turrets pays off only when the firing arcs let those guns engage the target.
Notable Point · 24:45-26:50
Turret count does not determine broadside power
A comparison of Nassau, Delaware, and Minas Geraes shows how turret placement can matter more than the number of turrets installed.