Robert Sherbrooke had already demonstrated unusually aggressive destroyer command before the Battle of the Barents Sea. In HMS Cossack at Narvik, he drove the Tribal-class destroyer over a sunken obstruction to bring her guns into the harbor fight. The maneuver connects the close-quarter violence of the Norwegian campaign with his later willingness to threaten German heavy ships around JW 51B. This earlier action explains why his later Victoria Cross was no surprise.
Notable Point · 58:41-59:10
Sherbrooke drives HMS Cossack into Narvik harbor
Before winning the Victoria Cross in the Arctic, Sherbrooke commanded Cossack as she forced her way over a wreck to fire inside Narvik harbor.