Heavy shells do not reliably detonate after the violent sequence of firing, armour penetration, and delayed fuzing, as Jutland and the Java Sea illustrate. Manufacturer claims for anti-aircraft weapons can likewise produce unrealistic expectations, judging by the volume of British fire required in the Falklands War. Modern guided weapons may appear more dependable, but large wartime production lots have not necessarily been tested under comparable strain. Combat also encourages crews to take low-probability shots that an exercise might reject because even a small chance of survival or success is worth the ammunition. Intensive live training, exposed forward stockpiles, losses in transit, and ordinary battlefield friction all accelerate consumption beyond peacetime estimates.
Notable Point · 55:42-59:36
Ammunition consumption and the friction of war
The scenario turns on a practical constraint: real combat consumes munitions rapidly, and weapons perform less predictably than exercises or advertising suggest.