68 DETAILS OF NAVAL DESIGN FROM JUTLAND. 
Of the records consulted, these show direct hits causing damage on turrets of the Lion, 
Tiger, Malaya, and three turrets of the Derfflinger. Many other direct hits on both turrets 
and barbettes of various ships were received without either penetration or damage, but the 
hits of interest to examine are those where damage was received. Of the battle cruisers 
blown up, some at least may have received their death blows through penetration of turrets or 
barbettes and explosions within, but that we cannot say. 
Of these particular cases mentioned, an 11 or 12-inch shell penetrated Q turret of the 
Lion and exploded inside. The immediate result was to put the turret out of action. A 
few moments afterward, however, a powder fire followed, ignited undoubtedly from smould- 
ering material, which burned out the whole substructure down through the handling room. 
Practically the same thing happened in the two after turrets of the Derfflinger. Both were 
struck by 15-inch shells. In one case the turret itself was penetrated, and in the other the 
roof plate was pierced. In each case the shell exploded inside. In both the result was the 
same as in the case of the Lion, the flame from the explosion, or burning materials remain- 
ing in the turret, igniting powder brought up for loading, so that fires burned out the entire 
barbette spaces down through the handling rooms. In all three of these cases the fire and 
damage stopped at the magazine doors. The turrets and whole turret structures were com- 
pletely gutted and the turret crews wiped out, but the magazine doors saved the ship from 
destruction. 
The other cases of turrets on the Tiger, Malaya and forward turret of the Derfflinger, 
however, show the resisting power of the turrets themselves. In the Tiger a direct hit was 
received on the roof of Q turret. Penetration did not result, but the explosion smashed 
a hole in the turret roof so that pieces of armor were driven inside and a number of men 
killed. No vital material damage was done, however, and in spite of what appeared to be 
major damage the turret was got working again, the left gun as before and the right gun 
with hand loading. Almost the same thing happened with X turret of the Malaya, in which 
a direct hit so dished the roof that from outside it was quite possible to see the crew at 
their work inside, but no interruption to the fire of the turret resulted. On the Derfflinger 
the forward turret was jammed by a heavy hit directly on the water shed. The turret crew 
jumped out on deck and in a short time, with axes, crowbars, and other improvised tools, 
cleared the jam away so that the turret proceeded as before. 
For many years armor gratings have been fitted in the cpenings of armor decks of 
warships, and for many years ballistic tests of these gratings have been carried out at various 
proving grounds to test the resisting power against major shell impact, or the impact of 
smaller shells representing fragments. While these tests have been of great importance, they 
have never represented the grating in its actual service condition. In proving ground tests, 
the grating is always held in some rigid framework, and it is practically impossible to repro- 
duce the conditions which would exist between the grating and the deck which carries it. 
Now, however, we find a real service test, and it is well worth our while to see what 
the results of this test show. . 
On the Warspite a 12-inch shell struck the armor grating over one boiler room, but did 
not penetrate and was deflected upwards. The gratings were bent, but none broken, and 
apparently did all the work intended. Subsequently it was found, besides this particular 
hit, two other heavy hits had been received direct on the gratings, but in each case the shell was 
deflected. These reports indicate most clearly that reliance may be placed upon well-designed 
armor gratings. 
