The torpedo boat and torpedo-boat destroyer created a new tactical problem: flotillas needed a ship that could help direct their attacks and back them in close action. The proposed vessel would lead torpedo attacks and help defeat hostile destroyers without asking an ordinary cruiser to mimic destroyer tactics. The Admiralty's early label was effectively a torpedo-boat-destroyer destroyer, a bureaucratic description that reveals the intended relationship to the flotilla. The tidier title scout cruiser therefore described a leader and fighting supporter for destroyers rather than an independent traditional cruiser.
Chapter · 4:33-6:20
Why destroyer flotillas needed scout cruisers
The proposed scout cruiser was meant to lead torpedo attacks and support destroyer flotillas when they met enemy destroyers.