Peacetime firing limits versus wartime turret risk

A light anti-aircraft gun mounted beneath an upper turret's muzzles does not by itself prove that the heavy guns could never fire there. If the position was unmanned and survival demanded the shot, a navy might accept damage to a 20 mm Oerlikon and repair it afterward. Periscopic sights, closed hoods, and director control could also reduce the danger to the lower turret crew. The stated 30-degree restriction remains uncertain because it might mean 30 degrees on each side of the axis or 30 degrees in total. An unjustifiable peacetime exercise accident could become an acceptable wartime risk if the same shot disabled an enemy battleship and saved the ship.