Q&A · 3:39:24-3:40:02

Who commands a battleship captured by destroyers?

The senior destroyer captain who captured a battleship would initially control the prize and could turn it into a new flagship rather than surrender command immediately.

Question

If a destroyer crew captured a battleship, would the destroyer's captain command it or would a new commander be appointed?

Short answer

The senior destroyer captain would initially control the prize and would be unlikely to surrender it easily before formal reassignment.

Notes

The imagined example places Captain Philip Vian as the senior officer on the scene. A successful destroyer commander would be extremely reluctant to give up a captured battleship before higher authority made a formal arrangement. The prize could immediately become that officer's flagship and materially change his standing. The exchange treats capture as both a seamanship feat and a command problem created before a replacement battleship crew can be organized.