Defence would have added four 9.2-inch guns to Good Hope's two, plus five 7.5-inch guns on a broadside. That would give the British eleven large guns against the twelve 8.3-inch guns that Scharnhorst and Gneisenau could bring to bear together. Defence also had newer armour and fire-control equipment. Her higher, turret-mounted weapons would remain more usable in heavy seas, improving the force's practical firepower as well as its nominal armament.
Chapter · 2:24:45-2:27:32
HMS Defence would have changed the gun balance
Adding Defence would have brought four more 9.2-inch guns, a strong 7.5-inch battery, modern fire control, and higher-mounted weapons.