HMS Vanguard

The transom stern of HMS Vanguard during construction. Instead of having a gradual tapering off section, it was found that simply ending the hull anywhere within up to six feet of the rudder had no significant impact on performance. The loss of weight meanwhile gave an increase in speed and acceleration. It was a discovery made in the design studies for the N3-class battleships and G3-class battlecruisers of the early 1920s - colossal ships which never came to fruition