Royal Navy planning had to allow for a Far Eastern war far from its main repair and supply infrastructure. Mediterranean and North Sea operations posed a different difficulty: ships would remain within reach of enemy bases and land-based aircraft. Both settings required a fleet able to absorb damage and keep fighting. More survivable machinery could increase the chance that a ship reached repair facilities and returned to service, or at least that its crew survived to serve again.
Notable Point · 1:15:45-1:16:42
Why distant operations make survivability a design priority
Repair distances and repeated exposure to attack explain the appeal of propulsion layouts that keep damaged ships functioning.