Cape Matapan puts the Zaras in the wrong battle

The Zaras were intended to add protected eight-inch firepower while Italian battleships fought the enemy battle line. At Cape Matapan, three instead met Royal Navy battleships at night and at extremely close range. They were never designed to act as the front line against 15-inch guns at point-blank distance. The proximity was so extreme that the British carrier accompanying the force considered its 4.5-inch battery within comfortable range. The episode separates a credible design role from the tactical circumstances that destroyed the ships.