Cap Trafalgar's captain tried to close the range so his one-pounders could join the action, concentrating fire on Carmania's command bridge. Captain Grant aimed Carmania's heavier guns at the German liner's waterline, a choice that left the opposing gun crews comparatively free from counterfire. Carmania took 79 hits, and Grant had to control her from an aft steering position after abandoning the forward bridge. Both liners burned, while a broken fire main and ineffective chemical extinguishers hampered Carmania's firefighting. Flooding and an increasing list eventually sank Cap Trafalgar, whose crew also received orders to open sea valves and set off explosives. Carmania remained badly damaged and vulnerable when Kronprinz Wilhelm appeared, but the German raider withdrew, apparently fearing a trap. British cruisers escorted Carmania away, and she later needed an escort to Gibraltar for repairs. Naval guns exposed these merchant hulls to damage they had never been designed to withstand.
Chapter · 7:51-11:27
Carmania fights Cap Trafalgar
The Carmania-Cap Trafalgar duel contrasts their tactical choices and shows why converted liners remained dangerously fragile despite carrying naval guns.