The cruiser force had to do more than fight enemy warships. HMS Manchester embarked army personnel in addition to her Royal Marines because many islands had no permanent garrison. A warship could therefore provide the first armed response to a local emergency or policing requirement. Imperial presence depended on mobile naval manpower where shore administration was extremely thin.
Notable Point · 18:02-18:51
A cruiser could carry the local instrument of government
Manchester carried Royal Marines and army personnel because a visiting cruiser might be the only immediate British force available on a remote island.