Destroyer crews benefited from close cooperation

Destroyer officers and ratings had to work closely together in cramped ships, which encouraged practical cooperation. Torpedo boats and destroyers offered little of the prestige sought by politically connected noble officers, so their commanders could be selected more often for competence. Small crews also had little room for persistent disciplinary trouble and removed men who disrupted the ship. The result could be a well-exercised, motivated, and competently led crew even when Russia had too few destroyers.