How often did German surface raiders meet battleships while attacking convoys, and what happened?
Short answerWhen raiders recognized a battleship escort such as an R-class ship, they normally broke off rather than risk crippling damage for the chance to reach the merchants.
NotesGerman raiders sought merchant targets, not a gunnery duel that could end their cruise. The Royal Navy therefore attached old capital ships to especially important North Atlantic troop and supply convoys. An R-class battleship might not catch Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, but its heavy guns made closing on the merchants prohibitively dangerous. The escort succeeded when the raiders turned away, even though no battle produced a dramatic victory claim.