The battlecruiser is treated as a fast force that should operate at range rather than trade blows in the battle line. The American design mounts heavy guns and torpedoes, but its armour and role depend on retaining a substantial speed advantage over battleships. The close approach is openly described as an experiment, while sound employment would keep the ship at distance. The simulation's close-range fighting shows what happens when a specialized ship is used outside the tactical role implied by its protection and speed.
Notable Point · 52:19-1:01:50
Battlecruisers need speed and distance
The US battlecruiser experiment highlights the design pressure between speed, heavy guns, torpedoes, armour, and the need to avoid a close capital-ship fight.