Cradock's conduct is presented as obedience to a professional demand to accept battle, without assuming that Britain could not lose. Royal Navy officers expected themselves to close with the enemy even when defeat was probable. The later examples of HMS Glowworm and HMS Eskimo show how deeply that behavior persisted. The ethos could produce wasteful losses, yet it also created a psychological advantage because opponents expected British ships to fight in circumstances where another navy might disengage.
Notable Point · 17:47-20:25
The Royal Navy's expectation to engage
The discussion separates blind confidence in victory from the institutional expectation that a Royal Navy officer must close with the enemy despite unfavorable odds.