The Admiralty leader's standard displacement was close to that of many destroyers built in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Successful performance of one task encourages further requirements and demands to perform it better. Additional instruments and systems then need more space and carrying capacity. Enlarging the hull is generally an easier institutional decision than agreeing which existing tasks a ship should stop performing. Wartime Royal Navy destroyers illustrate this growth in hull form, volume and capacity alongside a fairly consistent approach to equipment.
Notable Point · 1:10:54-1:12:36
Mission creep and wartime destroyer growth
Additional tasks and equipment explain why destroyer hulls grew while the Royal Navy retained a broadly consistent armament style.