How would the Royal Navy respond if a Des Moines-class Salem replaced Admiral Graf Spee as a commerce raider?
Short answerIt would need packs of County-class cruisers plus Renown or Repulse and likely a carrier, diverting major forces from other theaters just to hunt the raider.
NotesThe answer emphasizes opportunity cost more than a single hypothetical battle. A Des Moines-class raider would be too dangerous for the small cruiser group that confronted Graf Spee, so Britain would need multiple heavy cruisers, a battlecruiser, and air search. Every ship committed to that hunt would be unavailable elsewhere. A scarce raider can create strategic value simply by forcing an enemy to plan and deploy against it.