The ship was protected with compound armor; her belt was thick amidships, where it protected the ship's propulsion machinery spaces and ammunition magazines. On either end of the central portion, the belt was reduced to , and it extended for the entire length of the hull. At even normal loading, the belt was nearly submerged entirely, reducing its effectiveness significantly. Her armor deck was layered on of hull plating, and it curved downward at the sides. The barbettes for the main battery were thick, layered on top of hull plating, and the tubular supports connecting them to the ammunition magazines were . They were fitted with hoods to protect the gun crews from shell fragments. Her conning tower armor was thick, as were the shields for the 100 mm guns.
