Somerville's experience and exhaustion during Operation C

How effective was Somerville as commander in the Indian Ocean?

He was experienced and well suited on paper, but prolonged exhaustion weakened his judgement in early 1942; that explains rather than excuses the mistakes.

Somerville moved from illness and supposedly light staff duties through Dunkirk, Force H, and the Indian Ocean with little real recovery between demanding posts. His regional knowledge and earlier study of war with Japan made him an excellent choice on paper. Prolonged physical, emotional, and mental strain had nonetheless reduced the energy and judgment seen earlier in the war. Operation C jolted him back toward greater effectiveness, while the pre-raid decisions remained mistakes whose causes can be explained without being excused.