The German ammunition count falls to only a few salvos and then reaches zero. Once the 15-inch battery is silent, the British ship can close and inflict damage with its remaining weapons. The result does not prove that the British design is superior because victory comes from the opponent's ammunition expenditure and the British ship's ability to keep firing. Ammunition capacity and fire discipline therefore belong beside nominal firepower, accuracy, protection, and endurance in the comparison.
Notable Point · 1:02:29-1:07:44
Winning because the enemy exhausts its main-battery ammunition
The first duel becomes a lesson in ammunition endurance when Bismarck expends its main-battery shells before destroying the badly damaged British ship.