Nelson.

This is coolbert:

One more from Commander Salamander and thanks to same.

"Fullbore Friday [Friday, February 05, 2021]"

"HMS Nelson. One of the more curious, no, the most curious Battleship classes (2) ever built."

"The first thing that comes to mind is 'Shipmate, where is your stern?' If it looks like a ship built by committee, well that is because it is."

Indeed, even with a passing glance the HMS Nelson as a battleship the appearance most peculiar. Often I have remarked about this to myself.

THREE TURRETS OF THREE SIXTEEN INCH [400 cm.] BIG-BORE NAVAL GUNS EACH FORWARD OF THE BRIDGE AND OTHER ESSENTIAL VITALS OF THE SHIP! AREA TO THE REAR OF THE BRIDGE AND OTHER "VITALS" A MUCH REDUCED STERN SECTION!

"the main gun turrets were all mounted forward to shorten the armoured citadel . . .  in the Nelsons, this was taken further and all three were in front of the bridge; 'B' mount superfiring over 'A', with 'X' turret on the fo'c'sle deck behind 'B', and therefore unable to fire directly forward or aft"

Click on either image to see an enlarged view.

My assumption has always been that the design of the HMS Nelson peculiar but innovative in some manner that allowed the vessel some sort of distinct advantage in a naval battle with a similar class of warship. This is not so however!!

Seems that the design of the Nelson was a compromise to comply with the Washington Treaty of 1922. Capital ships their standard displacement confined to 35,000 tons or less. Nelson as originally designed beyond the proscribed limit and radical modification were needed. 

Additionally see this You Tube video an entire discussion of the HMS Nelson and those considerations taken into design as modified from the original.

coolbert.