The Royal Navy had to escort capital ships, carriers, cruisers, and merchant traffic across a global empire. Sea routes substituted for road and railway links across much of that system, giving destroyer numbers and capability strategic importance. Treaty obligations added places to defend, while naval arms treaties limited total destroyer tonnage. Buying many small ships would not solve the problem if they lacked the firepower and seaworthiness needed for Atlantic fleet duties. Rapidly increasing firepower also separated early utility destroyers from the larger fleet types arriving as war began. A working 4.5-inch general-purpose mount could have improved the surface and anti-aircraft capability of ships designed around the 4.7-inch gun.
Chapter · 56:33-59:35
Royal Navy destroyers for global commitments
British destroyers had to protect a global maritime system, forcing a compromise between numbers, firepower, anti-aircraft defense, and future upgrades.