"
On the contrary, Verkaik believes that with proper fighter protection, "
So the RAF would have had to provide fighter cover for "fighters" - just like Bf-110
The article also repeats claims for kills made by the Defiant crews - as Wikipedia says:-
"Although 264 Squadron claimed 48 kills in eight days over Dunkirk, the cost was high with 14 Defiants lost. Actual German losses were no more than 12–15 enemy aircraft; the turret's wide angle of fire meant that several Defiants could engage the same target at one time, leading to multiple claims."
It was a dog and no amount of optimistic writing 80 years on changes that