ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Torpedo belt

Okay kiddo, so a torpedo belt is like a shield that protects a ship from torpedoes, kind of like a superhero's shield!

You know that ships can be sunk if they get hit by torpedoes, right? A torpedo is like a really fast missile that swims through the water and explodes when it hits something. But ships have something called a torpedo belt to protect them from torpedoes.

A torpedo belt is a really thick layer of metal that surrounds the outside of the ship's hull. It's kind of like a bathtub that goes all the way around the ship. It's called a belt because it's a long strip of metal that goes around the middle of the ship.

The torpedo belt is made up of lots of different layers. Some of the layers are made of really hard steel, and some are made of softer steel. When a torpedo hits the ship, it has to go through all of these layers before it can actually hit the ship.

The different layers of steel are arranged in a way that makes it really hard for the torpedo to penetrate the ship's hull. It's kind of like trying to punch through a bunch of really thick books all at once – it's really hard to do!

So, that's basically what a torpedo belt is – it's a big, tough shield that helps protect a ship from torpedoes. Pretty cool, huh?