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rockymtndoc -> (11/25/2002 11:45:19 PM)
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The reason for the bad designs was the nature of naval warfare itself. All ship-to-ship exchanges had previously been relatively flat tajectory broadsides, and the ships were extremely well armored to withstand that. Even in WWII, the powerful primary batteries of capital ships, coupled with optical range finding and fire control, meant relatively flat trajectories hitting mainly the side armor. Long distance gunnery, involving high-arc fire, was relatively new on the scene and the naval designers had failed to take that factor well enough into account when designing.
There is also the matter of a ship's center of gravity. To prevent a battleship or cruiser from being too top heavy, and there is already an enormous weight of guns and armor above decks, you have to keep the weight down. One way was to reduce the overhead armor, which made sense in light of not appreciating what plunging fire would do.
This lack of understanding became critical during WWII with the advent of dive-bombers. The USS Arizona, heavily armored as she was, was sunk by a single relatively small bomb that penetrated her deck armor and detonated her forward magazine. Does this sound familar?
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