Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:48:52-1:49:24

Cruiser-destroyer groups attacked Axis supply convoys

Mixed Royal Navy cruiser and destroyer forces used surface action to attack convoys, especially the Axis supply traffic bound for North Africa.

Commerce RaidingConvoysMediterraneanTribal Class Destroyers (1936)
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Question

Were mixed cruiser and destroyer task forces used as commerce raiders?

Short answer

Yes. Royal Navy surface groups, including Tribal-class destroyers, attacked Axis convoys and other shipping in several theaters.

Notes

Royal Navy operations in the South Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia provide examples of mixed surface groups hunting enemy shipping. In the Mediterranean, cruisers and destroyers attacked Italian convoys carrying supplies to North Africa. Tribal-class destroyers regularly took part in that work. Balanced task groups could conduct commerce raiding as well as lone cruisers or submarines.