British destroyer captains could exploit German orders that placed strict limits on acceptable damage. Their attacks also depended on whole crews continuing to trust and follow them under fire. At the operational level, Sherbrooke fought his own ship while coordinating the escort, and Rear Admiral Robert Burnett independently moved toward the gunfire. Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz had previously survived Blücher's loss in Norway and commanded the German force under more restrictive orders. At the strategic level, John Tovey resisted Arctic sailings during near-continuous summer daylight and helped organize stronger protection after PQ 17. Erich Raeder faced Hitler's expectations of victory with a fleet whose expansion had assumed several more years of preparation.
Chapter · 14:27-38:15
Command from destroyer bridge to national strategy
Destroyer captains, formation commanders and strategic leaders faced different responsibilities, but decisions at each level constrained the officers fighting at sea.