The local order of battle looks balanced when measured only by four battleships on each side. Britain also has 72 coastal and 49 ocean-going submarines in the English Channel area. Those submarines face a French grouping whose surface strength is concentrated in cruisers and destroyers. Counting the undersea force overturns the impression created by capital-ship totals alone.
Chapter · 59:59-1:01:23
Submarine concentration changes the balance in the English Channel
A nominally even battleship balance becomes lopsided once more than a hundred British submarines are counted against the French screen.