ank ▁another ▁major ▁enemy ▁war ship ▁of ▁any ▁national ity . ▁ ▁Design ▁Hot sp ur ▁was ▁designed ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁Fle et , ▁to ▁bring ▁into ▁action ▁her ▁main ▁weapon , ▁her ▁ram . ▁This ▁project ed ▁some ▁ten ▁feet ▁( 3   m ) ▁ahead ▁of ▁her ▁bow ▁per pend icular , ▁and ▁was ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁arm oured ▁bel t . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁assumed ▁that ▁the ▁bear ings ▁upon ▁which ▁a ▁usual ▁tur ret ▁turned ▁would ▁not ▁surv ive ▁the ▁shock ▁of ▁the ▁impact ▁consequ ent ▁upon ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁ram ▁against ▁an ▁enemy ▁ship . ▁Her ▁single ▁ ▁gun ▁was ▁therefore ▁position ed ▁in ▁a ▁fixed ▁cup ola ▁per for ated ▁by ▁four ▁firing - ports ▁through ▁which ▁the ▁gun ▁could ▁be ▁dis charg ed . ▁None ▁of ▁these ▁ports ▁allowed ▁the ▁gun ▁to ▁be ▁fired ▁straight ▁ahead , ▁where ▁a ▁potential ▁ram ming ▁target ▁would ▁be ▁situated . ▁It ▁was ▁therefore ▁only ▁possible ▁to ▁eng age ▁these ▁targets ▁with ▁the ▁gun ▁if ▁the ▁ram ming ▁attack ▁missed . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁maximum ▁speed ▁of ▁Hot sp ur ▁was ▁less ▁than ▁virt ually ▁all ▁of ▁her ▁potential ▁targets , ▁it ▁quickly ▁became ▁apparent ▁that ▁ram ming ▁attacks ▁on ▁ships ▁under ▁way ▁were ▁almost ▁guaranteed ▁to ▁miss , ▁and ▁she ▁quickly ▁desc ended ▁from ▁being ▁a ▁ship ▁held ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁great ▁military ▁value ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁most ▁useless ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁battle - f le et . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁re