The French cruiser remains operational after its supporting battleship is disabled, but the simulation turns it back toward superior opponents. Its speed should instead be used to escape while the battleship absorbs attention. Laying smoke and opening the range would preserve a valuable cruiser rather than exchanging it for an empty gesture. That rational withdrawal differs from a human commander's decision to fight when no route out remains. The cruiser's design speed is an operational survival tool rather than a decorative specification.
Notable Point · 1:31:36-1:33:51
Cruiser speed as a survival tool
A simulated cruiser action illustrates why speed should let an intact cruiser disengage once a battleship becomes the enemy's main target.