Armed merchant cruisers were expected to confront raiders they could not defeat with gunfire. Rawalpindi had already been sunk after closing with Scharnhorst, giving the January 1940 proposal an example available at the time. Jervis Bay's later defense against Admiral Scheer offers a second case in hindsight, since both escorts came close enough for torpedoes to complicate the German attack. A torpedo battery would leave these ships vulnerable, but it might damage the attacker or force more cautious maneuvering while the convoy escaped.
Notable Point · 28:52-31:09
Give armed merchant cruisers a torpedo threat
Rawalpindi's 1939 loss made the case for torpedoes in January 1940, while Jervis Bay later showed how the same weapon might threaten a German raider.