How many ships did British battleships save from German surface raiders?
Short answerThe number cannot be proved, but the known German avoidance orders show that even older battleships materially deterred attacks on protected convoys.
NotesDeterrence is difficult to quantify because historians cannot count attacks that were never attempted. German raiders nevertheless received orders to avoid convoys protected by capital ships, including the elderly R class. A German ship might win such an engagement, but fifteen-inch shells and proper battleship armor made a clean victory unlikely. Any damage could leave a distant surface raider unable to continue its mission or return through British interception, giving even an old escort a deterrent effect without firing.