Weapon range alone does not determine whether a ship can hit. A destroyer may be close enough to launch torpedoes while lacking the angle and track for a good solution, and cruisers can be in gun range before their fire becomes effective. In the simulation, the French destroyers expend their weapons without reaching a useful torpedo position, while the cruisers keep closing for better gunfire. The forced finish differs from likely wartime behaviour: the surviving 30-knot destroyer probably would have withdrawn after its companions were lost. Nominal range, firing position, and the freedom to disengage are separate tactical problems.
Notable Point · 30:45-32:32
A firing solution depends on position as well as range
The simulated engagement shows how a ship can be within nominal gun or torpedo range while still lacking the position needed to hit effectively.