Complex sentence: Built in 1917 and 1918, the "Caldwell" s were flush-decked, to remove the weakness at the fo'c'sl break of the preceding "Tucker" s, with improved sheer forward, to keep "A" turret from being constantly washed out.
Split into simpler sentences: Built in 1917 and 1918, the "Caldwell" class was flush-decked to remove the fo'c'sl break weakness of the preceding "Tucker" class. The forward sheer of the "Caldwell" class was improved to keep "A" turret from being constantly washed out.