Force K approached under radar cover and opened against the local escort at close range. Its cruisers engaged the defending destroyers while secondary batteries and the British destroyers tore into the merchant ships. Italian defenders initially struggled to identify a surface attack in the dark because they lacked comparable radar. The result was a huge single-engagement loss of Axis shipping and a vivid demonstration of Force K's disruptive method.
Chapter · 1:17:14-1:18:41
Duisburg: radar turns a convoy attack into a rout
At the Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, Force K used radar and a close night approach to destroy escorts and merchant ships in sequence.