An "improved" Super Lion

I thought that we needed to experiment with yesterday's Super Lion design to see if we could "improve" the protection. I increased the beam, as that helps increase hull strength without large increases in displacement. The armament is unchanged, but I tried an 8in lower belt and barbettes. The turrets now have 5in as the minimum protection. That was sufficient to make a modest improvement, although at a cost. Yesterday's ship was a £3.352 million ship, while today's is a £3.560 million ship. The standard displacement rose from 32,963 tons to 36,905 tons. This is the Springsharp report for the modified version:

GB/CB/1912 Super Lion-Modified, Great Britain Battlecruiser laid down 1912

Displacement:
 35,058 t light; 36,905 t standard; 42,234 t normal; 46,498 t full load

Dimensions: Length (overall / waterline) x beam x draught (normal/deep)
 (815.00 ft / 812.00 ft) x 108.00 ft x (28.00 / 30.32 ft)
 (248.41 m / 247.50 m) x 32.92 m  x (8.53 / 9.24 m)

Armament:
      10 - 15.00" / 381 mm 42.0 cal guns - 1,920.00lbs / 870.90kg shells, 90 per gun
   Breech loading guns in turret on barbette mounts, 1912 Model
   4 x Twin mounts on centreline ends, evenly spread
  2 raised mounts - superfiring
   1 x Twin mount on centreline, aft deck forward
      16 - 4.00" / 102 mm 45.0 cal guns - 32.27lbs / 14.64kg shells, 150 per gun
   Quick firing guns in deck and hoist mounts, 1912 Model
   16 x Single mounts on sides amidships
  4 raised mounts
      Weight of broadside 19,716 lbs / 8,943 kg

Armour:
   - Belts:  Width (max) Length (avg)  Height (avg)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 560.00 ft / 170.69 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
 Ends: 4.00" / 102 mm 200.00 ft / 60.96 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   52.00 ft / 15.85 m Unarmoured ends
 Upper: 5.00" / 127 mm 560.00 ft / 170.69 m 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
   Main Belt covers 106 % of normal length

   - Torpedo Bulkhead:
  2.00" / 51 mm 465.00 ft / 141.73 m 28.00 ft / 8.53 m

   - Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
 Main: 8.00" / 203 mm 5.00" / 127 mm  8.00" / 203 mm
 2nd: 3.00" / 76 mm 2.00" / 51 mm  3.00" / 76 mm

   - Armoured deck - multiple decks: 3.00" / 76 mm For and Aft decks

   - Conning towers: Forward 8.00" / 203 mm,  Aft 0.00" / 0 mm

Machinery:
 Oil fired boilers, steam turbines, 
 Direct drive, 4 shafts, 153,867 shp / 114,785 Kw = 30.00 kts
 Range 7,500nm at 18.00 kts
 Bunker at max displacement = 9,592 tons

Complement:
 1,472 - 1,914

Cost:
 £3.560 million / $14.239 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
 Armament: 2,677 tons, 6.3 %
 Armour: 8,801 tons, 20.8 %
    - Belts: 2,696 tons, 6.4 %
    - Torpedo bulkhead: 963 tons, 2.3 %
    - Armament: 2,841 tons, 6.7 %
    - Armour Deck: 2,091 tons, 5.0 %
    - Conning Tower: 209 tons, 0.5 %
 Machinery: 6,135 tons, 14.5 %
 Hull, fittings & equipment: 17,444 tons, 41.3 %
 Fuel, ammunition & stores: 7,177 tons, 17.0 %
 Miscellaneous weights: 0 tons, 0.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
 Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
   66,017 lbs / 29,945 Kg = 39.1 x 15.0 " / 381 mm shells or 8.7 torpedoes
 Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.25
 Metacentric height 8.4 ft / 2.6 m
 Roll period: 15.6 seconds
 Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 59 %
   - Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.76
 Seaboat quality  (Average = 1.00): 1.19

Hull form characteristics:
 Hull has low quarterdeck ,
   a ram bow and a cruiser stern
 Block coefficient (normal/deep): 0.602 / 0.612
 Length to Beam Ratio: 7.52 : 1
 'Natural speed' for length: 28.50 kts
 Power going to wave formation at top speed: 51 %
 Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
 Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): -2.00 degrees
 Stern overhang: -2.00 ft / -0.61 m
 Freeboard (% = length of deck as a percentage of waterline length):
    Fore end,  Aft end
    - Forecastle: 30.00 %,  30.00 ft / 9.14 m,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Forward deck: 30.00 %,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Aft deck: 8.00 %,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m,  28.00 ft / 8.53 m
    - Quarter deck: 32.00 %,  20.00 ft / 6.10 m,  20.00 ft / 6.10 m
    - Average freeboard:  25.68 ft / 7.83 m
 Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
 Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 97.3 %
  - Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 232.8 %
 Waterplane Area: 64,259 Square feet or 5,970 Square metres
 Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 120 %
 Structure weight / hull surface area: 208 lbs/sq ft or 1,018 Kg/sq metre
 Hull strength (Relative):
  - Cross-sectional: 0.97
  - Longitudinal: 1.26
  - Overall: 1.00
 Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is adequate
 Room for accommodation and workspaces is excellent