Ships exhausting ammunition in combat is a recurring historical problem rather than a theoretical edge case. An age-of-sail captain once asked an opponent for ammunition and was refused, while two cruisers were lost after exhausting their anti-aircraft stocks off Crete. Modern missiles are more capable than wartime shells, yet a forty-eight-round Sea Ceptor battery may represent only about twenty-four two-shot engagements. Electronic warfare, another Type 26, Type 45 destroyers and F-35s can enlarge the defensive envelope, but the task group still has finite magazines. The historical comparison supports additional gun armament as insurance for a valuable ship, its crew and the wider war effort.
Notable Point · 50:37-53:32
Ammunition exhaustion from the age of sail to Crete
An age-of-sail anecdote and the loss of cruisers after their anti-aircraft ammunition ran out off Crete support the case for defensive depth beyond a ship's first missile load.