HMS Legion joined the Lofoten raid because her eight four-inch guns made her a useful AA destroyer. Alongside three Tribals with twin four-inch X mounts, the force could historically bring 14 guns to bear above 50 degrees, while another 18 main-battery guns remained limited to lower angles. If all were dual-purpose 4.7-inch weapons, 32 guns could cover targets from below the horizon to roughly 80 degrees. The comparison shows the escort cost imposed by a low-angle main battery: a general-purpose Tribal still needed a specialist AA destroyer beside it.
Notable Point · 1:52:53-1:56:17
Operation Claymore: 14 high-angle guns or 32
Operation Claymore supplies a concrete force comparison: a universal 4.7-inch battery could more than double the destroyer group's guns able to engage through the full high-angle arc.