Why Iowa overwhelmingly outmatches Bismarck

Could Bismarck defeat an Iowa-class battleship?

Only through an extraordinarily unlikely catastrophic hit; Iowa should win the normal engagement decisively.

Iowa is the clear favorite against Bismarck rather than a peer competitor. Bismarck could theoretically win through a rare catastrophic hit like the one that destroyed Hood. Such an outcome would be a millions-to-one event rather than a sound basis for comparative assessment. In the ordinary engagement, Iowa's later design and overall combat advantages should decide the fight without difficulty.