How a faster Nelson might trap Gneisenau

Rodney's encounter with Gneisenau shows what the proposed Nelson machinery reserve could have changed. The German ship was initially at very low speed when Rodney appeared, but accelerated out of danger before the British battleship could close. A refit raising Rodney from roughly 23 knots toward 28 knots would increase the closing rate during that vulnerable interval. Four additional boilers might have been enough to make the 16-inch battery decisive before Gneisenau escaped. The counterfactual shows why a modest speed increase can have a disproportionate effect in interception warfare.