Cruisers using destroyer tactics at the River Plate

Did any cruiser commander try to use cruisers like destroyers?

Yes. Henry Harwood's multi-axis plan at the River Plate applied a destroyer-style attack to cruisers.

Dudley Pope's account of the Battle of the River Plate connects combat with the diplomatic aftermath. Commodore Harwood used a destroyer-style plan: divide the force and approach the enemy from multiple directions. Applying that method to cruisers departed from their conventional tactical playbook and complicated Admiral Graf Spee's response. An officer can transfer a tactic between ship types when the operational problem demands it.