Hit-and-run attacks versus longer screening fights

The operational summary offers a rule of thumb, with exceptions across the many engagements. German torpedo boats could be dangerous in planned ambushes and short dashes because their offensive emphasis concentrated striking power early. British destroyers tended to hold the advantage once a fight became a prolonged screening melee, where gun balance, numbers, and staying power mattered. A sword-and-shield analogy connects the tactical difference to the hard compromises imposed by a small hull. Larger hulls have more room to balance capabilities, while smaller vessels can become highly capable in one role and limited to self-defense in others. V187's loss when a planned German ambush met a British ambush, along with the vicious actions off the Dutch coast, shows how quickly an attacker could become the target. German cruisers fought effectively to withdraw the torpedo boats from the action in which V187 was lost. A ship optimized for a rapid strike grew more vulnerable when the enemy forced it to remain in the fight.