I just rechecked the relevant bit of WoH yesterday - There was a discussion on the Havenite flag bridge (just before the missiles started flying) where they identified the Protector's Own BCs as "probably Courvoisier-class" and mentioned that NavInt had identified the Courvoisier II's a pod-launchers.namelessfly wrote:I still have not reread WoH, but given the commentary in HoS, the BC(P)s launched many pods in the opening salvos then retreated behind the SDs and screen. The RHN might not have recognized what the BC(P)s were then given the volume of fire presumed that the GSN SD(P)s had expended much of their ammo making them a less attractive target.
So they definitely knew the Grayson BCs might be rolling pods. But it's not clear if they actually observed them do so. Still, if you choose to engage that force it's probably worth throwing your first few salvos at the BCs, they're less well defended than the SD(S)s and if you knock them out you remove a decent chunk of that forces short term offensive, and long term defensive firepower; not to mention their firecontrol.
But I still don't know that switching targets to the closer Grayons is worth it. (And I think they come a bit inside the hyper limit, but I wasn't able to confirm that from the book; it's possible they were just outside it for much of the engagement). Tourville's not going to be able to kill them quickly, so he's pretty much stuck with their fire. But he can keep Honor at arms length (where her accuracy is less), and by keeping her under fire he can deny her fewer SD(P)s time to deeply stack pods. Remember that with all her 'legacy' wallers Honor can probably control larger salvos than the Protector's Own. But only if she has time to roll the pods and hand them off to the non pod-laying escorts.
