If Admiral King was so critical of the British, why was he willing to use Corbett?
Short answerKing's criticism was selective: he respected figures such as Corbett, Somerville, and Cunningham despite disliking much of the British naval establishment.
NotesAdmiral King's criticism of the British was shaped by encounters with officers such as Beatty, but he respected Corbett, Somerville, and Cunningham. When Somerville fell ill in America, a dispute arose over which hospital should receive him. King ensured that he went to a US naval hospital and received care from senior doctors. The attention reflected King's personal intervention rather than a direction from Roosevelt. His difficult relations with parts of the British naval establishment coexisted with close professional trust in particular officers.