Destroyers and other warships changed throughout World War II as crews absorbed combat experience and new technology. A 1939 design should be assessed against what planners knew then rather than against equipment produced after years of war. Interwar exercises sometimes gave correct guidance and sometimes produced false lessons. The 16-inch guns carried by Nelson and Rodney provide an example: British interpretation of tests on German weapons produced guns that worked, but fell short of what they should have achieved.
Notable Point · 10:38-11:28
Why 1939 equipment should be judged against 1939 conditions
Comparing ships from 1939 with their 1945 successors hides six years of combat experience and technical development.