Why destroyer officers gained command experience early

Were most British admirals former destroyer officers?

That proportion is doubtful, but destroyer service gave officers early experience commanding several ships and a dedicated route into flag rank.

The claim that most British admirals came from destroyers is treated with doubt. Destroyer service did offer a useful progression in command: a commander might lead four ships and a captain coordinate eight or nine. The rear-admiral destroyers appointment then provided a flag-level post for that experience. This gave officers practice coordinating several ships before many other career paths did. The later rear-admiral aircraft-carriers appointment provided a comparable route for officers with carrier experience.