Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:03:40-2:11:08

A fictional space conversion turns Hoche's secondary battery into the edge

Equalizing the ships' weapons as hypothetical space armament preserves Captain's favorable main-gun arcs but gives Hoche more opportunities to hit through its larger secondary battery.

Alternate HistoryHMS Anson 1886HMS Captain 1869HocheNaval GunnerySecondary Armament
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Question

If both were converted into space battleships, would Hoche or HMS Captain win?

Short answer

Hoche is favored over Captain because it has more firing opportunities, though Captain's main guns could still decide the fight. Anson is favored over Hoche, with small guns that can also defend against incoming torpedoes in this fictional scenario.

Notes

This hypothetical space conversion equalizes the weapons' capabilities and reload rates, leaving the number and arrangement of mountings to shape the contest. Captain's centerline main guns have better firing arcs, while Hoche gains more opportunities from its larger secondary and tertiary battery. Fleet initially gives Hoche a tentative 60-40 advantage, although the later odds vary and do not represent a calculated probability. Captain could still win with a damaging main-battery salvo. Substituting Anson adds numerous small weapons as well as four 13.5-inch guns, producing a rough preference of 65-70 percent for the British ship. In the space-conversion scenario, the smaller weapons also serve as point defense against incoming torpedoes, reducing Anson's vulnerability.