A gun duel between a cruiser submarine and an unarmoured small escort could turn on the first hit. The rough comparison gives a trawler about an even chance and a corvette about a 60 percent chance of scoring that hit first, despite the corvette's limitations as a gun platform. Most sloops would probably win in this assessment. A worked-up destroyer crew would have a much stronger advantage, with three or four gun mounts firing while the submarine's two large guns were still being aimed and ranged. A Tribal-class destroyer with eight 4.7-inch guns illustrates the difference in available firepower. The percentages express a rough judgement about who would hit first.
Chapter · 4:20-5:45
A cruiser submarine's odds against escort guns
Rough first-hit estimates favour a corvette over a cruiser submarine, while a worked-up destroyer's multiple gun mounts offer a much stronger advantage.