by DariusP » Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:31 am
If, by "standard turret", you mean heavily armored circular structure* (used on HMS Victoria, Sans Pareil, Trafalgar and Nile) than your question was answered in a definitive (but quite expensive) way: under the influence of Sir Arthur Hood one ship of RS class was completed as a turret ship and named after Admiral.
It was not a success... Because of the weight of the turrets Hood had much lower freeboard and her main guns were about 6 feet lower than in the rest of the class. Also due to the reduced freeboard her midships 6 inch guns were of little use and were removed in 1904. Much less seaworthy than the rest of her "sisters", Hood was 1/2 knot slower than RS in calm water but her speed decreased rapidly in moderate and rough waters. Finally, and here is your answer in a nutshell, she was the last low freeboard turret ship of the Royal Navy.
* What we call "turret" today (and was called "shield" or "gunhouse" at the end of XIX century) was introduced on HMS Centurion and Barfleur.
If, by "standard turret", you mean heavily armored circular structure* (used on HMS Victoria, Sans Pareil, Trafalgar and Nile) than your question was answered in a definitive (but quite expensive) way: under the influence of Sir Arthur Hood one ship of RS class was completed as a turret ship and named after Admiral.
It was not a success... Because of the weight of the turrets Hood had much lower freeboard and her main guns were about 6 feet lower than in the rest of the class. Also due to the reduced freeboard her midships 6 inch guns were of little use and were removed in 1904. Much less seaworthy than the rest of her "sisters", Hood was 1/2 knot slower than RS in calm water but her speed decreased rapidly in moderate and rough waters. Finally, and here is your answer in a nutshell, she was the last low freeboard turret ship of the Royal Navy.
* What we call "turret" today (and was called "shield" or "gunhouse" at the end of XIX century) was introduced on HMS Centurion and Barfleur.