Rear Admiral Lionel Wells unexpectedly chose Vian as flag captain of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron instead of allowing him to proceed to a staff course at Greenwich. Wells favored bold action and gave the comparatively inexperienced captain two years of practical instruction on Arethusa's bridge. The appointment extended a decade in which Vian participated in the Mediterranean Fleet's exercises, weapons development, tactical testing, and force planning. Those exercises repeatedly pitted the Mediterranean and Home or Atlantic fleets against one another under loose scenarios designed to expose how officers would fight. By 1939 Vian therefore belonged to a small cadre whose peacetime careers had been concentrated on preparing for fleet war.
Chapter · 17:13-19:20
HMS Arethusa completed Vian's Mediterranean preparation for war
Flag-captain service under Lionel Wells placed Vian inside the Mediterranean Fleet's repeated exercises, tactical experiments, and preparations for a major war.