China Station anti-piracy operations adapt beyond destroyers

On the interwar China Station, HMS Durban and destroyers bombarded pirate positions while HMS Eagle, and sometimes HMS Hermes, helped locate and attack hideouts. One tactic used the conspicuous cruiser to hold attention while an unidentified destroyer approached from another direction and opened fire before the pirates dispersed. Pirates had learned to watch for large grey warships and escape when they appeared. That adaptation mattered even as destroyers entering service around 1929 to 1931 grew larger and carried 4.7-inch guns, since heavier batteries could not stop a warned opponent from dispersing. Aircraft, deception, and cooperation between ship types offered better answers than assigning more powerful destroyers alone.