HMS Hood had a low freeboard (the distance from the waterline to the main deck) because it was a design compromise to achieve speed and a smaller target profile, but this was made worse by additional armor added during construction. This resulted in the ship shipping a lot of water in heavy seas, which would enter through ventilation shafts, earning it the nickname "the largest submarine in the Navy". Initial Design: The low freeboard was an intentional design choice, influenced by earlier pract