The Wyoming class is a capable but evolutionary American answer: six twin turrets deliver a twelve-gun broadside, while a top speed of 20.5 knots keeps the design conservative. Its five-to-eleven-inch armour remains distributed around the ship because the United States has not yet adopted the all-or-nothing scheme. The lattice mast reflected the operating conditions American planners expected off their own coasts. The comparison with Britain's 13.5-inch Orions shows why technological leadership mattered to the Royal Navy's claim of global supremacy. Britain needed both numerical strength and ships that did not look technically outclassed.
Chapter · 4:51-8:33
Wyoming combines a twelve-gun broadside with conservative design
The Wyoming class puts all twelve 12-inch guns on the broadside while retaining moderate speed, distributed armour, and a mast chosen for American operating conditions.