Fast ocean liners were designed to hold high transatlantic speed for an entire passage, making them difficult for a raider to catch after a sighting. Warships normally cruised at about 18 to 20 knots and reserved speeds above 30 knots for shorter periods. A Town-class cruiser assigned to accompany a liner across the Atlantic reached Halifax nearly out of fuel. Matching the liner's sustained pace had consumed almost the cruiser's entire margin, turning speed into an endurance and logistics problem.
Notable Point · 25:42-26:48
Ocean-liner speed exposes warship endurance limits
A Town-class cruiser nearly exhausts its fuel escorting a liner designed to sustain speeds that warships normally use only in bursts.