I have this clunky looking design that works well

There is a pencil sketch and specifications for a German battleship ("Linienschiffe/Schlachtschiffe"), to be laid down about 1916. I am just guessing at the date, but the drawing is consistent with that date. This ship was trying to carry 9-16.5in guns at 25 knots. The power specified was 120,000 SHP, which was actually sufficient to drive the ship faster than 25 knots. I chose the armour basis to be 14in, as I was trying to achieve a protection weight of about 16,730 tons. I did pretty well, as in the Springsharp design, the protection is 16,698 tons. I had hoped for machinery weight of 2,670 tons in my paper design, but in Springsharp, it is heavier at 3,290 tons. In any case, the design works exceedingly well. This is the Springsharp report:

Ger/BB/1916 Red Book, Germany Battleship laid down 1916 (Engine 1937)

Displacement:
41,637 t light; 43,630 t standard; 46,000 t normal; 47,896 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
755.00 ft / 755.00 ft x 110.00 ft x 32.00 ft (normal load)
230.12 m / 230.12 m x 33.53 m  x 9.75 m

Armament:
     9 - 16.50" / 419 mm guns (3x3 guns), 2,246.06lbs / 1,018.80kg shells, 1916 Model
  Breech loading guns in turrets (on barbettes)
  on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
     10 - 6.00" / 152 mm guns in single mounts, 108.00lbs / 48.99kg shells, 1916 Model
  Quick firing guns in deck mounts with hoists
  on side, all amidships, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
Weight of broadside 21,295 lbs / 9,659 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 90

Armour:
  - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 425.00 ft / 129.54 m 17.00 ft / 5.18 m
Ends: Unarmoured
  Main Belt covers 87 % of normal length

  - Torpedo Bulkhead:
 4.00" / 102 mm 425.00 ft / 129.54 m 31.00 ft / 9.45 m

  - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 14.0" / 356 mm 10.0" / 254 mm  14.0" / 356 mm
2nd: 4.00" / 102 mm 4.00" / 102 mm  4.00" / 102 mm

  - Armour deck: 5.00" / 127 mm, Conning tower: 14.00" / 356 mm

Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 4 shafts, 118,693 shp / 88,545 Kw = 27.50 kts
Range 7,500nm at 15.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 4,266 tons

Complement:
1,569 - 2,041

Cost:
£6.797 million / $27.188 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 2,662 tons, 5.8 %
Armour: 16,698 tons, 36.3 %
   - Belts: 4,536 tons, 9.9 %
   - Torpedo bulkhead: 1,950 tons, 4.2 %
   - Armament: 4,176 tons, 9.1 %
   - Armour Deck: 5,649 tons, 12.3 %
   - Conning Tower: 387 tons, 0.8 %
Machinery: 3,290 tons, 7.2 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 18,987 tons, 41.3 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 4,364 tons, 9.5 %
Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
  71,599 lbs / 32,477 Kg = 31.9 x 16.5 " / 419 mm shells or 12.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.07
Metacentric height 6.6 ft / 2.0 m
Roll period: 18.0 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 69 %
  - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.88
Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.37

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
Block coefficient: 0.606
Length to Beam Ratio: 6.86 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 27.48 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -1.00 degrees
Stern overhang: -1.00 ft / -0.30 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
   - Stem:  33.00 ft / 10.06 m
   - Forecastle (20 %): 29.00 ft / 8.84 m
   - Mid (67 %):  29.00 ft / 8.84 m (21.00 ft / 6.40 m aft of break)
   - Quarterdeck (15 %): 21.00 ft / 6.40 m
   - Stern:  21.00 ft / 6.40 m
   - Average freeboard: 26.68 ft / 8.13 m

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 81.7 %
 - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 198.6 %
Waterplane Area: 61,072 Square feet or 5,674 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 103 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 221 lbs/sq ft or 1,077 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
 - Cross-sectional: 0.94
 - Longitudinal: 1.64
 - Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent
Good seaboat, rides out heavy weather easily