HMS Greyhound provides a concrete early example, with two 18-inch torpedo tubes, five six-pounders, one 12-pounder, 30-knot speed, and a displacement of 400 tons. Crews could keep the small guns steady, giving the ship effective firepower against vessels of comparable size. Destroyers formed an outer defensive layer around cruisers and battleships. Their quick-firing guns could break up torpedo-boat attacks before the attackers reached the capital ships' own guns.
Notable Point · 3:02-5:25
HMS Greyhound and the first destroyer screen
HMS Greyhound's small, quick-firing guns show how early destroyers formed an outer screen against torpedo boats.