Armoured cruisers as battle-line support

The result prompts a comparison with Japan's idea that four strong armoured cruisers could reinforce a four-battleship force. Fast cruisers with a heavy broadside could support the battle line, concentrate against an isolated opponent, or alter the local balance. The two-against-two action gives the Austro-Hungarian cruisers first blood before London emerges as the final survivor, making the fight much closer than the type labels alone suggest. Cruisers remained distinct from battleships, and fleet tactics could still make their combination effective.