Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:30:20-4:33:18

When destroyers deserved to win

Preferred alternate outcomes include a captured Pola, a successful Glowworm attack, and Johnston defeating Yamato.

Admiral Hipper (Cruiser)Battle Of The Denmark StraitBattle Off SamarDestroyersHMS GlowwormHMS HoodTribal Class Destroyers (1936)USS JohnstonWorld War II
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Question

Which world-war destroyer action would the panel most like to see end in the destroyers' favor?

Short answer

Favorites include towing the Italian cruiser Pola home, Glowworm sinking Admiral Hipper, and Johnston defeating Yamato.

Notes

The choices range from bringing the Italian cruiser Pola into Alexandria as a prize to giving Glowworm a victory over Admiral Hipper. Johnston defeating Yamato off Samar is another deliberately improbable reversal. An accompanying suggestion gives Hood a Tribal-class destroyer screen on the approach to Denmark Strait. The Samar follow-up distinguishes the escorts' destruction from their mission: their resistance helped the escort carriers get away. The preferred changes concern who survived and what they achieved, while acknowledging the value of actions that ended in a destroyer's loss.