Merrill is compared with Willis Lee as an unusually capable American surface-action commander. His particular strength was judging whether an identified risk was worth its likely reward and how likely it was to materialize. A homogeneous force of Fletcher-class destroyers and Cleveland-class cruisers made those judgments easier because the ships shared performance and operating characteristics. Precision still requires enough units to be available in the right place. A large force of 75-80 percent solutions could cover more missions than a handful of exquisite ships.
Chapter · 36:06-42:15
Aaron Merrill balances risk with available force mass
Rear Admiral Aaron Merrill's strength was evaluating whether an operational risk was worth its likely reward while commanding a uniform, readily available force.