Hi RF,RF wrote: "The acid test would be for POW to continue the action for another ten to fifteen minutes. I would expect Bismarck by then to land severe hits on POW while POW may land a few more hits on Bismarck....."
I do agree, even if, up to 6:00, PoW had already scored 3 hits in 7 minutes and BS had scored 2 (to 3) on Hood in 4 to 5 minutes fire, so not an extremely different hit rate. The hits scored by BS on PoW at quite short range (3 in less than 2 minutes) were not returned by PoW mainly due (IMHO) to the turn and counter-turn to avoid Hood remains, whose generated heeling clearly scrambled McMullen firing, and to the final turn away.
Two additional remarks: on May 24, Prinz Eugen was supporting BS, while the British heavy cruisers were not, so PoW could have sustained even more damaging hits, had she continued the action alone.
On the other side, however, the "torpedo alerts" forced the German ships to turn hard more times, loosing their targets (starting at 6:03 for BS and 6:04 for PG), even wooding their fore turrets (surely for PG, for BS apparently for a short interval, at least looking at the PG film).
At that time, PoW (if still in efficiency) would have had a great opportunity to inflict to BS quite more damages.....
In a one to one confrontation, against a much more unprepared Tirpitz on May 24, I would favor the less green PoW gunnery.
Bye, Alberto