The British force begins in line abreast before the faster ships separate to press the enemy. The French battleship is short of fuel and cannot reach its nominal 23-knot speed, while the pursuing Chester-class cruisers can make roughly 36 knots. The heavier ships slow to about 28 knots for better accuracy as the cruisers race ahead to overtake the target. A dense spread of torpedo tracks then shows how a pursuing force can be endangered by its own screening vessels as well as the enemy.
Notable Point · 5:38-17:29
Using a fast screen to run down an isolated battleship
A line-abreast attack uses faster cruisers and destroyers to pursue a fuel-limited French battleship while exposing the danger of torpedo clutter.