Why speed cannot offset a heavy-gun range deficit

The Spanish ships begin with about three knots of extra speed, but their 15-inch guns have roughly 20 kilometres less reach than the British 18-inch battery. Speed offers little protection when a ship must cross a long beaten zone before its own weapons can reply effectively. Four British ships also bring thirty-six 18-inch guns against sixteen Spanish 15-inch guns, so range and numbers reinforce one another. Once the Spanish force closes into six-inch range, the British main guns are already well inside their effective envelope and should be scoring heavily. The simulation's poor accuracy softens the result, making this a lesson about the underlying tactical geometry rather than a literal prediction from the game.