Namsos: Tribals as amphibious command ships

Fourth Destroyer Flotilla reconnaissance helped select Namsos as a landing point, after which the destroyers escorted converted liners and ferried soldiers ashore. Somali helped establish the base, while Afridi and Somali served as headquarters for Major-General Carton de Wiart. Their extra internal space made command work possible, yet they remained small and agile enough to operate farther up narrow fjords than cruisers. The Tribals served as amphibious reconnaissance platforms, troop carriers, command ships, and escorts as well as surface-combat destroyers.