High speed

As an aside from the current theme, writing about the supply of Malta, elsewhere, prompted some thoughts about the value of speed. The rise of aviation removed much of the tactical value of extremely high speeds. Very high speed was still relevant, as it provided a means for inferior forces to escape and for superior forces to catch an enemy surface force.

The British Abdiel class minelayers were very useful for supplying Malta, as they had both good volume and weight carrying characteristics, but they also had the capability for high, sustained speeds. The designed 40 knot speed was probably not practical, especially when loaded, but they were probably good for a sustained speed of 36 knots. That made them good candidates for the Malta resupply mission, especially when the enemy was more active in the air.

In regions such as the Mediterranean Sea the real value was the strategic mobility offered by high speed. That was what made the small Italian cruisers, such as the Attilio Regolo, so valuable.

In the Pacific War, the United States came to desire large, fast destroyers to "run with the carriers". By late in the war, development was underway for the larger sort of destroyer that was commonplace, postwar. As catapult power increased, the need for speed was diminished, as aircraft carriers were able to launch aircraft at lower speeds. The volume and weight carrying capacity of the large destroyers was still valuable at a time when ships were starting to be loaded with electronic equipment.