TB 95 gave Somerville an unusually early command

The exact starting month is uncertain, but Somerville appears to have commanded TB 95 around the time he became a lieutenant in 1904. The appointment coincided with reserve torpedo-boat trials in communications and coordinated operation, so his specialist background is suggestive context, not proof of why he received it. These 140-foot torpedo boats carried small crews and rewarded aggressive handling, while the emerging torpedo-boat destroyer was already making the type transitional. This brief command supplied a rare piece of independent ship-handling experience in a career otherwise dominated by signals work and flagships. Decades later, that qualifying experience helped justify his appointment as Rear Admiral (Destroyers). The small early command became a required credential on his path to higher rank.