The simulation gives armour and gun characteristics more consistency than wartime industry could. Italian ships and shells could be among the world's best when well made, but weak quality control produced serious performance problems. A mixed batch might put one defective shell into an otherwise sound eight-shell salvo and spoil the result. The U.S. Navy is contrasted as avoiding that particular problem. Design tables alone therefore cannot measure naval effectiveness without accounting for manufacturing consistency.
Notable Point · 22:26-23:07
Why quality control can defeat a strong design
An aside on Italian shells shows why nominal ship specifications cannot capture inconsistent industrial quality and ammunition performance.