Henry Harwood from the River Plate to political command

Harwood excelled as a commodore because he understood South America and cruiser warfare, and because distant command reduced interference from Westminster. That combination of regional knowledge and operational freedom helped him succeed at the Battle of the River Plate. Promotion brought him into a Mediterranean political environment for which he was poorly prepared. An appropriately chosen staff, especially officers experienced under Third Sea Lord Reginald Henderson, might have compensated for those gaps.