Twenty minutes of fictional concealment could cover much of a short night engagement by Force K. An anti-aircraft cruiser could similarly fire while aircraft struggled to identify its position. Combining the device with a smoke screen adds deception: an opponent might search the smoke while the cruiser has already moved away. At roughly 32 knots, twenty minutes permits about ten nautical miles of movement, changing the range and angle of an attack.
Notable Point · 10:37:08-10:39:50
Concealment, smoke, and short naval engagements
The fictional example relates concealment duration to battle length, movement, and an opponent's estimate of position.