Q&A ยท 2:15:44-2:17:29

Destroyer captains who attacked much heavier ships

Destroyers charging heavy cruisers and battleships made extreme aggression a recurring feature of wartime destroyer command.

Question

Who was the craziest destroyer captain in each navy?

Short answer

Several captains qualify through attacks on cruisers or battleships, so the comparison offers extreme examples without choosing a winner for every navy.

Notes

The candidates include a captain who rammed a heavy cruiser and another who charged the Japanese battle line. Other examples involve an Italian battleship and a small destroyer flotilla attacking German heavy cruisers with their escorts. Several navies therefore supply contenders. The joking conclusion is that any cautious destroyer captain would quickly have been moved to cruisers.