Was Cradock too aggressive?

Was Rear Admiral Christopher Cradock too aggressive in carrying out his orders?

No. His available choices were tightly constrained, and Churchill's volume of orders made London's intentions difficult to interpret.

Excessive aggression offers a poor explanation for Cradock's conduct in this assessment. His own side had constrained what he could do and achieve. Explicit orders did not produce a clear operational picture when several people kept issuing instructions. Churchill's volume of orders made it particularly difficult to determine what London actually wanted.