The Royal Navy could use distributed destroyer flotillas to protect home waters while concentrating its battle fleet for offensive action. This arrangement adopted a useful part of Jeune École thinking without accepting its central anti-battle-fleet claim. Jackie Fisher treated flotilla defence as an adjunct that prevented capital ships from being dispersed in vulnerable penny packets. The distinction is a force-structure lesson: defensive light forces can release heavy units for concentration, but only when they sit within a balanced fleet.
Notable Point · 34:04-36:02
Fisher's use of flotilla defence
Jackie Fisher's defensive destroyer flotillas made sense as a complement to a concentrated battle fleet, not as its replacement.