The Fifth Battle Squadron's gunnery gives the alternate history its first major opportunity. Barham strikes Von der Tann almost immediately, while later British hits damage a turret, wreck deck structures, and affect an engine room without delivering the full internal destruction expected of an effective armour-piercing round. Taken together, the hits make the battlecruiser a likely early loss if the shells work as intended. The result comes from cumulative damage rather than one decisive projectile.
Notable Point · 1:39:32-1:46:20
Von der Tann becomes an early test of working shells
Compare the historical damage to Von der Tann with the likely effect of 15-inch and 13.5-inch shells that penetrate before bursting.