Editing Colorado-class battleship (section)

===Armor and underwater protection===
The "all or nothing" armor scheme introduced in the ''Nevada''-class battleships was continued here, as throughout the Standard-type warships, with armor suite virtually identical to the preceding ''Tennessee'' class. The exception was an increase in belt armor near vital machinery to {{convert|16|in|mm|0}} to correspond with the increased main gun caliber. Otherwise, the minimum thickness along the belt remained 14&nbsp;inches. Upper deck armor was {{convert|3.6|in|mm}} initially and was later increased to {{convert|4.1|in|mm|0}}. Lower deck armor ranged between {{convert|2.25|and|1.5|in|mm}} and was also presumably strengthened during conversion.{{sfn|Breyer|1973|p=230}}

As with the ''Tennessee''s, the ''Colorado''s were modernized in the 1930s to improve their staying power. A new underwater protection scheme featured five compartments separated by armored [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] {{convert|0.75|in|mm}} thick on either side of the ship: an outer empty one, three filled, and an empty inner one. In addition, the eight [[boiler]]s were moved from their location in previous designs and placed in separate spaces to port and starboard of the [[turboelectric]] power plant. This arrangement formed another line of defense, which would allow the ship to sail if one or even an entire side of boilers was incapacitated. A consequence was the chief aesthetic change between the ''New Mexico''s and ''Tennessee''s: the single large [[wikt:funnel#Noun|funnel]] of the former was replaced by two smaller funnels in the latter.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=117}}{{sfn|Friedman|1985|pp=134, 137, 225}} Turret armor was 5" on the roofs, 8 on the sides and rears, and 18 on the faces.<ref>{{Cite book|title=American Battleships, Carriers, and Cruisers|last=Lenton|first=Henry|publisher=Doubleday & Company INC.|year=1968|location=Garden City, NY|pages=29|lccn=68-14047}}</ref>

Other improvements imported from the ''Tennessee'' class included an attempt to move the forward torpedo room away from the 16-inch gun [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]], as the room was viewed as vulnerable. Also, the design called for the use of external, rather than internal, [[belt armor]] so that a "break in the continuity of the side structure" would not exist, which would minimize drag in the water and any corresponding waste of power.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=117}}{{sfn|Friedman|1985|pp=134, 137}}