What if HMS Warspite replaced South Dakota in the action against Kirishima near Guadalcanal?
Short answerCape Matapan shows the kind of close-range action Warspite could bring to that fight.
NotesThe answer points directly to Warspite's performance at Cape Matapan when considering a substitution for South Dakota near Guadalcanal. The British battleship had already demonstrated the kind of close-range night action the counterfactual demands. It therefore treats Matapan as the most useful operational comparison rather than redesigning the scenario from first principles. The answer does not promise an identical result, but it identifies a combat record that makes Warspite a credible participant.