Editing Turret ship (section)

==Background==
[[File:HMS Prince Albert (1864).jpg|thumb|[[HMS Prince Albert (1864)|HMS ''Prince Albert'']], a pioneering turret ship, built by naval engineer [[Cowper Phipps Coles]].]]
Before the development of large-calibre, long-range guns in the mid-19th century, the classic [[ship of the line]] design used rows of port-mounted guns on each side of the ship, often mounted in [[casemate]]s. Firepower was provided by a large number of guns which could only be aimed in a limited arc from one side of the ship. Due to instability, fewer larger and heavier guns can be carried on a ship. Also, the casemates often sat near the waterline, which made them vulnerable to flooding and restricted their use to calm seas.

[[Gun turret|Turrets]] were [[weapon mount]]s designed to protect the crew and mechanism of the  [[artillery|artillery piece]] and with the capability of being aimed and fired in many directions as a rotating weapon platform. This platform can be mounted on a [[fortification|fortified]] [[building]] or [[structure]] such as an anti-naval [[land battery]], or on a [[combat vehicle]], a [[naval ship]], or a [[military aviation|military aircraft]].