Command frigates moved shore-style coordination facilities to sea and could help direct less capable motor launches during the D-Day period. The arrangement became less convincing when attached to Dog Boats that already carried radar and were closer to the enemy. Those crews could see the convoy, threat, and interception geometry directly, while a more distant command ship risked issuing instructions from an inferior picture. The broader lesson is that authority works best when the commander contributes information or capability that subordinate units do not already possess.
Notable Point · 1:44:48-1:46:57
A command ship must add information
Coastal-force command frigates were useful when they supplied capabilities smaller boats lacked, but radar-equipped Dog Boats could possess the better local tactical picture.