The 11-inch weapons are not dramatically outranged, but the difference is enough for the British ships to open fire first. Even a few unanswered salvos can matter if one produces an early disabling or catastrophic hit. The 'golden BB' shorthand often used for Hood and Bismarck captures the risk: the advantage is probabilistic rather than automatically decisive, but it is still tactically valuable.
Notable Point · 1:08:02-1:09:28
Gun range, first hit, and the golden BB
A small range advantage lets 15-inch guns fire first, creating an early-hit opportunity illustrated by the Hood-Bismarck 'golden BB' problem.