Dalrymple-Hamilton flew his flag in Belfast and commanded the Tenth Cruiser Squadron from March 1944 into 1945, gaining promotion to vice admiral during the appointment. He arrived too late for the Battle of North Cape and therefore missed the possibility of participating in a second battleship-on-battleship action after Bismarck. A cautious counterfactual asks whether Rodney could have turned toward Denmark Strait if she had received detailed warning early enough. Geography, her existing escort mission, and the limited information actually available make that intervention difficult rather than inevitable. Dalrymple-Hamilton responded aggressively once called, but he could not act on a crisis the fleet had not yet communicated to him.
Notable Point · 1:58:38-2:01:24
Belfast command and a missed capital-ship action
Dalrymple-Hamilton reached the Tenth Cruiser Squadron after North Cape, prompting a cautious counterfactual about whether earlier intelligence could have put Rodney near Denmark Strait.