British and German destroyer doctrine diverges

The German light craft are presented primarily as torpedo-delivery platforms for a weaker fleet seeking to offset British strength. British destroyers also carried torpedoes, but placed greater weight on guns for defeating hostile torpedo flotillas. That armament reflected the Royal Navy's expectation that its destroyers would clear away the enemy screen before British cruisers and capital ships closed in. The seven British light cruisers further reinforced a screen that already outnumbered the German torpedo craft. That doctrinal difference made the Royal Navy's numerical advantage especially dangerous if Beatty allowed the light forces to attack.