Comparisons between destroyers from different construction generations can manufacture an impression of national superiority. A German boat built around 1912 ought to outperform a British design from 1900 because more than a decade of rapid technical development separates them. Equivalent build cycles provide the useful comparison. The pace of change in this era is likened to modern drone development, far faster than the replacement cycle of present-day warships. That rule matters throughout the later class comparisons.
Notable Point · 3:49-4:57
Compare destroyers from equivalent development cycles
A warning about mismatched comparisons shows how quickly prewar destroyers evolved: a 1912 German boat should beat a British design from 1900, but that says little about contemporary peers.