Main guns offer spectacular hitting power, while secondary batteries can sustain a much higher volume of fire. Heavy guns may miss and have a slow rate of fire; once the range collapses, repeated medium-calibre hits can start fires, damage unarmoured areas, and overwhelm a ship. The simulated action becomes a contest between British 6-inch and Austro-Hungarian 5-inch fire as both ships accumulate flooding and fires. Pre-dreadnought tactics could therefore reward a different range and weapon mix from later battleship combat.
Notable Point · 32:48-34:03
Why secondary guns mattered in pre-dreadnought battles
At close range, quick-firing six-inch and five-inch batteries can be more decisive than slow heavy guns in a pre-dreadnought action.