A concealed cruiser inside an enemy formation

The fictional concealment scenario extends to night action around Matapan and operations in the Adriatic. A Town-class cruiser is imagined closing to less than 2,000 yards from Littorio before opening fire. At that range, the argument expects 6-inch shells to cause serious damage. Nearby Italian ships would also risk hitting their own battleship if they fired at the cruiser, and could initially mistake the attack for friendly fire.