Attentive collided with the destroyer Quail, then rammed and sank Gala during night live-firing exercises, killing one crewman, before also colliding with Ripple. This succession of accidents belonged to a wider Royal Navy effort to preserve a fighting edge through realistic, close-quarters destroyer training. Such exercises could prepare crews for the tactical demands of war, but they carried real peacetime costs. The incidents also show how awkwardly a larger scout cruiser sat beside the destroyers it was meant to lead.
Notable Point · 32:24-36:05
Attentive and the risks of destroyer-style training
Attentive's collisions during demanding flotilla exercises show how closely scout cruisers had to work with smaller ships in risky manoeuvres.