Interwar destroyer training and calculated risk

The V and W destroyers left the Royal Navy with enough hulls after World War I that training losses, while still investigated, did not cripple the force. Destroyer officers were expected to measure risk, press manoeuvres, and learn to decide quickly under conditions close to war. A court martial or inquiry followed a loss, but an officer who had accepted a calculated risk could remain valuable to the service. This approach helps explain why interwar destroyer training became so demanding: the Navy wanted commanders who knew when aggression was justified and when it was reckless.