Why high speed in heavy seas damaged destroyer turbines

Le Triomphant's recurring machinery faults resemble the Tribal class's turbine problems in this diagnosis. A large destroyer could keep driving through heavy seas while its relatively light machinery absorbed repeated shocks. Those shocks unseat turbine blades and produce accumulating damage during prolonged high-speed operation. Ships below roughly 3,000 tons standard displacement are identified as particularly exposed under those conditions. The comparison with contemporary Western warships around 6,000 tons concerns their room for larger machinery and gearing able to withstand sustained strain. Displacement, machinery weight, and intended cruising speed therefore have to be considered together.