How many merchant ships could fight back, and why were they not more heavily armed?
Short answerGuns displaced profitable cargo and required large crews, so convoyed merchants usually carried little armament and relied on their escorts.
NotesA merchant ship traveling under escort earned money from cargo, while cannon consumed space, money, and crew. The sailing crew needed to work the vessel was much smaller than the manpower required to serve a useful broadside. Carrying more guns therefore reduced both cargo revenue and operating efficiency. One or two pieces might discourage a weak attacker but offered little practical protection against a 44-gun warship. The answer clarifies why convoy defense remained the escort's job even when some merchantmen carried limited armament.