San Carlos Water would force attacking aircraft to emerge at short range rather than engage from a comfortable distance. Vanguard's large 40 mm battery and other guns could therefore concentrate on aircraft as they popped over the surrounding terrain. The battleship could also serve as a command anchor among the amphibious ships, adding another defended position inside the anchorage. The point is geographical: an old gun battery becomes especially valuable when terrain compresses the attacker's approach.
Notable Point · 1:04:18-1:05:57
Why Vanguard's guns could dominate the San Carlos approaches
The follow-up matches Vanguard's dense close-range battery to the terrain that forced Argentine aircraft into short pop-up attacks over San Carlos Water.