The simulated action recalls Narvik, where British destroyer columns and Warspite placed German ships under fire from several directions. The converging arrangement is called a Tribal special because gun-armed destroyers could exploit the crossfire while closing. The Tribal class exposed a mismatch between pre-war expectations of torpedo-heavy destroyers and the frequent gun fights of the early war. Torpedoes still mattered for a decisive strike against a major target, while rapid gunfire was often more useful in mobile destroyer engagements. A class criticized for reduced torpedo armament proved well matched to much of the fighting it actually encountered.
Notable Point · 1:51:25-1:53:42
Why gun-armed Tribal destroyers mattered
A simulated destroyer action becomes a guide to division tactics and the World War II value of Tribal-class gun power.