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Tankerace -> RE: Surface Combat Sux (9/5/2004 1:18:27 AM)
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Well, don't forget about the Battle of the Dogger Bank in 1915.
The British side, HMS Lion had been put out of action, and on the German side, the SMS Blucher had been reduced to a blazing wreck.
Admiral Beatty (HMS Lion) had wanted his second in command to go on after the rest of the German Fleet, as Blucher was going to sink anyway. Instead, his 2IC misinterpretted the signal, and used the remaining British battlecruisers to pound the Blucher until she finally turned turtle. Because of this, the rest of the German battlecruisers, a few of whom had suffered considerable damage, made good their escape. Very odd things can happen in war, for a variety of different reasons.
Such as the Battle of the River Plate. The Graf Spee could have easily eluded Force G, but Kapitan zur See Langsdorf mistook the 3 cruisers for destroyers, and closed the range. He did tealize what he had done until he was under 6 and 8" cruiser fire. Even Commodore Harwood (HMS Ajax) remarked "I can't understand what their captain is doing. If you have a longer reach than the other dellow, why get in close?).
Battles are a mixed, and confused thing.
Also, what you could be experiencing is like the convoy attack of the Admiral Shceer on HX 84. The Merchant cruiser Jervis Bay purposely drew the fire of the Scheer, so that the rest of the convoy could escape. In the end, the Scheer only netted a few ships, instead of the feeding ground of dozens of ships. Again, it is all part of the fast pace of battle, limited intel and communications, and the plain not realizing what is out there.
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