In this interpretation, the Archer type was a predecessor to the destroyer, built for anti-torpedo-boat work before the name and later design family had settled. The same idea leads forward to the large Tribal-class destroyers of the 1930s. Navies could enlarge torpedo boats until they had the reach to accompany the fleet, or shrink cruisers until enough could be built for the protective role. The first path sought a more capable small vessel, while the second traded cruiser size for affordability and numbers. Designers still had to decide which route served the fleet better. The Archer class captures that unsettled boundary between cruisers and flotilla craft.
Notable Point · 4:19-5:37
Torpedo cruisers before the destroyer name
The Archer class illustrates the design choice between enlarging torpedo boats or shrinking cruisers until they could counter the same threat affordably.