Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 22:09-22:58

HMS Nubian and choosing a favourite Tribal

HMS Nubian receives special attention among the Tribal-class destroyers because her ending was the hardest to write.

HMS NubianNaval History WritingTribal Class Destroyers (1936)Warship Service Histories
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Question

Do you have a favourite Tribal-class destroyer?

Short answer

No simple favourite is named, but HMS Nubian's ending affected the writing most strongly and made her the hardest section to complete.

Notes

Choosing a favourite Tribal-class destroyer is compared to choosing a favourite child, so no ship receives a simple ranking. HMS Nubian stands out because her ending made her the most difficult section of the book to write. Her section was deliberately left until last, after which the completed manuscript went to the publisher with a request for a week's break before edits. Finishing a ship's service history could carry emotional weight even in a technical class study.