Cossack cost 341,000 pounds and was built by Vickers-Armstrong at High Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne. She was ordered in March 1936, laid down that June, launched in June 1937, and commissioned two years and five days after her keel was laid. Her original armament comprised eight 4.7-inch guns in four twin mounts, one quadruple 40 mm pom-pom, four 21-inch torpedo tubes, and twenty depth charges served by a rack and two throwers. This gave the Tribal class unusually heavy gun power while preserving torpedo and anti-submarine capabilities. Cossack was a balanced destroyer built for close and confused surface actions.
Chapter · 5:22-7:35
HMS Cossack as a balanced fighting destroyer
HMS Cossack's guns, torpedoes, and depth charges illustrate the Tribal class's emphasis on heavy gun power without abandoning other destroyer roles.