George Collins commanded the 18th Cruiser Squadron when Town-class cruisers were gathered to hunt German surface raiders. He then carried responsibility for Gibraltar and the Mediterranean approaches until September 1943. By 1944 he was a full admiral, but the principal senior posts were already occupied and few appointments suited his rank and experience. It remains unclear how tired he was and whether he wanted another command. The institutional space for employing him had plainly narrowed.
Chapter · 22:28-24:38
George Collins had reached the end of a hard command sequence
After surface-raider patrols and command of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean approaches, Collins had endured high-pressure work without an obvious next appointment.