Sounds like an awful mismatch there. Even if we make it the WWII Mighty Mo, she could start shelling them from 5 miles away with 2,000lb HE warheads. Even if she runs out of every type of shell for every gun on the ship, she could still run down a ship-of-the-line without taking so much as a scratch from those puny cannonballs.
With sufficient ammo, I agree. Hand to hand, I’m not so sure.
USS Missouri vs the Spanish Armada isn’t really very interesting, as there’s barely even a theoretical chance of the Missouri suffering more than paint scratches. But what’s the earliest ship that can singlehandedly defend Britain?
5 miles is pretty close range to start shelling.
From ussmissouri.com.
One of the early ocean-going ironclads should be up to the job, like HMS Warrior (now a museum ship) or La Gloire.
Bah, scooped me, the Internet connection went down. Was going to post this:
Nelson’s Victory could probably manage it, handled smartly. However, to be absolutely sure, I’d wait for steam power and armor cladding, and use HMS Warrior…assuming she could replenish coal and ammunition as needed.
The 101st could potentially play off of the Huns’ superstitions. A few long-range snipers and some troops with night-vision goggles could totally bewilder the Huns.
Yes, I agree. That’s why upthread I gave the MO is better opponent in Germany’s WWI Imperial fleet.
The future troops in the Axis of Time books are essentially embroiled in a world war sort of Jihad that’s been gong on for several years. Highly brutal and jaded forces. With some sort of krav maga-esque efficiency style that just about everyone in harms way knows.
While it is possible to begin shelling from over the horizon,
the point I was getting at was that the armada could conceivably get as close as they wanted and still not do much harm.