Check claims about ships beyond the author's command

The method moves from broad corroboration to a more demanding test: compare the memoir against a focused study of a particular ship. Cunningham's comments on HMS Renown, which was often under Admiral Somerville rather than his direct command, can reveal whether he reports other actors fairly. This separates the question of whether Cunningham accurately describes his own actions from whether he accurately represents ships and commanders outside his immediate control. Agreement on these external details builds another layer of confidence in the account's wider reliability.