The comparison with a modern littoral combat ship describes a vessel large enough for global service and heavily armed enough to dominate coastal waters. In this assessment, the Archers largely met that mixed requirement. Experience still showed that larger cruisers handled distant cruising better. In the North Sea and similar contested waters, purpose-built torpedo-boat destroyers offered a better counter to torpedo boats and enemy destroyers. By about 1905, the Archers' blended mission had split between more specialised cruiser and destroyer types.
Notable Point · 10:01-11:34
Why the Archer type gave way to specialised ships
The Archer class was a workable all-rounder, but larger cruisers handled cruising better and dedicated destroyers became the stronger answer to enemy torpedo craft.