Engaging a threat at long range is preferable when detection permits it. E-boats were intended to behave as ambush predators and deny defenders that warning distance. Their small size and use of crowded shipping lanes could conceal their approach. Night attacks were another problem when defenders lacked radar. Even where radar was available, attackers could try to spoof the early sets and preserve surprise. Defenders therefore needed to react quickly enough to drive off or destroy an E-boat once it appeared.
Notable Point · 0:51-1:28
Reaction speed against E-boat ambushes
Small targets, crowded shipping lanes and darkness reduced warning time, while absent radar or attempts to deceive early sets complicated E-boat detection.