Esmeralda may be stronger in a simple paper comparison, but commerce raiding is constrained by the defender's convoy system. A raider must approach the merchant ships it is trying to attack, which brings it toward their escorts instead of allowing it to exploit speed freely. That geometry reduces Esmeralda's speed advantage and gives the slower Leanders an opportunity to use endurance, concentration, and numbers. The comparison therefore turns on operational method as much as nominal ship characteristics, and helps explain why convoying overcame early objections during the First World War.
Notable Point · 42:17-43:29
How convoys would blunt Esmeralda's advantage over Leander
Convoying forces a faster raider to approach its escorts and shifts the comparison toward the Leander class's endurance and collective strength.