Cunningham opposed large destroyers while serving as Rear Admiral Destroyers in the Mediterranean during the 1930s. He favoured smaller ships able to launch large numbers of torpedoes, and Henderson rejected his objections to designs such as the Tribal class. Wartime operations then made the usefulness of larger, general-purpose destroyers apparent. Cunningham became an advocate of ships he had previously resisted. Henderson's decision ensured those larger ships were available when their wider usefulness became apparent.
Notable Point · 31:13-32:19
Why Cunningham changed his view of large destroyers
Cunningham's prewar preference for small torpedo destroyers gave way to support for larger ships once wartime operations demonstrated their wider usefulness.