I think that it is a coast defence battleship. They don't slug it out on the high seas. They nip in and out of coastlines with lots of islands and coordinate with coastal artillery. They present a small target wit high maneuverability and firepower The tall rangefinder gives good firing data over lower islands while the hull and lower superstructure remains invisible. Warships engaging it are usually in deeper water further out to sea and are much easier to engage. Getting close to them involves navigating shoals and other obstacles common to rocky coastlines. Norway Sweden and Finland all made good use of such vessels. If you were engaging two of them and they also made good use of smoke they might not sink you, but they will likely sent you home badly damaged, wondering what the hell happened.

you are aware you are talking to an Norwegian!!!....


He was making a joke on something an British officer said once. I do not remember the story 100% correct, but i short:

One of the Finnish coast defence ship was going to the British ship review together with one of the bigger Swedish one. When it arrived there a British Officer commented that, we should be affraid of the Finnish Navy, they even have armed there lighthouses!

Never