class battleship class dreadnought battleship class designed royal_navy world war incorporating lessons learned conflict similar design class battlecruiser larger guns thicker armour ordered signing limited size armament battleships long tons gun bigger inches background declared intention create navy second congress authorized building large number battleships battlecruisers response japanese government began large programme warship building fleet improved revenge class hulls rebuilt renown class battlecruisers royal_navy war new capital ships laid war admiral class battlecruisers design called question ships class cancelled leaving hood completed modified design plan delayed wartime need build smaller vessels estimates admiralty early 1920s royal_navy ships beginning americans completed battleship end world war building seven intended laid large powerful class armed inch guns japanese finished battleship end war construction correct state affairs admiralty initially planned build battleships battlecruiser fiscal year changed class battlecruisers built presumably followed number battleships following year pair designs prepared june derived battleship design ships long tons armed guns twin triple gun turrets mounting new inch gun development limitation design inability use british pass suez_canal unusual feature designs turrets superfiring presumably centre gravity low possible avoid extra weight required tall superfiring barbettes designs revised october split separate battleship battlecruiser designs battleship designs given letters alphabet use triple double gun turrets shown respectively superfiring guns armour reduced inch inclined waterline belt main armoured deck inches thick inches sloped meet belt designed speed knots mph displaced long tons thousand tons lighter followed november december different earlier designs sacrificed fire directly astern moving rear turret amidships order save weight shortening length armoured citadel compared earlier conventional designs saved long tons long tons weight saved reducing designed speed knots mph propeller shafts thought improve power smaller propellers changes saved long tons long tons predecessors lengthened version chosen development approved november description noticeable design concentration main battery forward bridge machinery spaces related feature design tower bridge structure gun turrets provided better stable foundation fire control equipment greatly improved accommodation protection weather battleships significantly larger predecessors revenge class overall length feet beam feet draught feet deep load displaced long tons nearly double displacement older ships complete double feet deep ships geared steam turbine sets drove propeller shaft engine rooms forward boiler rooms allowed funnel placed aft increased ability rear turret fire rear turbines powered small tube boilers intended produce total shaft horsepower ships maximum speed knots housing main armament triple turrets new royal_navy british companies involved production triple gun turret designs navies choice high muzzle velocity relatively lighter shell taken german practice ran counter previous british guns inch mark gun calibre length lower muzzle velocity weapons firing heavy shells armament design mounted calibre inch guns triple gun turrets designated rear guns maximum elevation guns completed test fired sources differ exact specifications naval historian quotes weight pounds fired muzzle velocity cite pounds fired muzzle velocity carried secondary armament sixteen inch guns superfiring twin turrets turrets sited forward superstructure stern guns elevate fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity maximum range elevation rate fire rounds minute anti aircraft battery inch viii guns included maximum depression maximum elevation fired pound high explosive shell muzzle velocity rate rounds minute guns maximum ceiling effective range ships intended carry millimetre pounder gun commonly known funnels stern barrel provided rounds ammunition gun fired millimetre pound shell muzzle velocity distance yards gun rate fire approximately rounds minute like previous classes british battlecruisers pair submerged broadside firing torpedo tubes planned ships compartment located forward shell room platform deck inch torpedoes tube carried peace time increase wartime mark torpedoes pounds tnt powered oxygen enriched air speed settings governed range yards knots mph yards knots mph fire control main guns battleships controlled director control towers primary mounted forward superstructure mounted roof conning tower armoured hood main gun turret provided foot coincidence rangefinder armoured housing turret roof secondary armament primarily controlled mounted bridge anti aircraft guns controlled high angle control system mounted mount director height aft foot torpedo located sides funnels armour british dreadnought use protection scheme medium thickness armour proven useless stopping heavy calibre shells world war vital areas ship protected possible armour rest ship left use system pioneered contemporary battleship designs starting nevada class system protection required armoured citadel reserve ship stable rest hull gunfire waterline belt maximum thickness inches thick armour angled angle increased armor relative thickness horizontal close range fire albeit cost reducing relative height increased chance going ran feet feet forward barbette rear inch magazine feet reduced inches engine boiler rooms belt height feet inches feet inches designed waterline lower edge belt abreast magazines continued feet inches thickness high steel inclined prevent shell reaching magazines wave trough high speed ends belt terminated inch transverse bulkheads inch armoured deck matched length waterline belt sloped meet upper edge belt extended forward torpedo compartment separate transverse bulkhead protecting inches thick steering gear protected deck bulkhead inches thick turret faces inches thick sides probably inches thickness roof inches thick armour barbettes conning tower inches thick conning tower communications tube upper deck inches thick fire control director atop conning tower protected armoured hood inches thick anti torpedo internal hull intended withstand explosion pound torpedo consisted outer air space inner space inches thick torpedo bulkhead bulkhead situated feet ship postwar tests replica system showed filling space water sealed steel crushing tubes hood effective weighed cancellation battleships ordered arms limitation treaty negotiation time forbade construction ship larger tons aspects design ultimately incorporated nelson class battleships described cut received design designation marking design sequence guns intended battlecruisers cost reasons comply treaty inch limitation main armament
N3-class battleship