Sikh and Zulu were modified to support Operation Agreement, the 1942 commando raid on Tobruk. Sikh was hit repeatedly by coastal gunfire, lost 115 men, and was scuttled by Zulu after survivors and landing personnel had been taken aboard or captured. Zulu then helped rescue Coventry's crew before sustained air attack disabled her machinery; Hunt-class destroyers removed her people and attempted a tow, but she rolled over and sank roughly one hundred miles from Alexandria. The combined story explains why the Tribals' gun power and capacity made them attractive for raids while their limited protection and exposure to land-based aircraft made those assignments exceptionally dangerous.
Chapter · 2:29:15-2:51:47
Sikh and Zulu in the Tobruk raid
The paired losses of Sikh and Zulu during Operation Agreement show the dangers of using gun-heavy destroyers for commando support under concentrated coastal and air attack.