Closing the range can bring decisive secondary batteries into play during a pre-dreadnought fight. In a later capital-ship duel, the longer-ranged heavy guns may be the more important advantage. Closing improves the opponent's accuracy and lets its faster-firing weapons contribute. Here, 18-inch-gun British ships repeatedly enter the effective range of German 15-inch and secondary batteries despite possessing the longer-ranged armament, surrendering their control of distance.
Notable Point · 1:23:40-1:25:54
Do not throw away the advantage of range
A capital ship with longer-ranged heavy guns should seek to preserve that advantage instead of closing into the enemy's faster-firing secondary batteries.