Nautical Term: Barbette

Definition of Barbette

The Barbette is a cylindrical structure built up to armor plates on a war vessel. These structures extend from the protected deck to the lower side of the turret shelf plate. Barbettes form protective enclosures for various turret components. For instance, they house turret stools, shell stowage flats, and ammunition hoisting gear. The following is an example of how the Barbette would be mentioned in a single paragraph: ‘During the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the Barbette of the British battlecruiser HMS Lion was breached by a German shell, resulting in significant damage to the turret and the vessel as a whole.’

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