Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:46:31-1:47:53

The US Navy read the Tribals through its own doctrine

American observers found the large British destroyers interesting but continued to favor torpedo-heavy ships designed for mass attacks rather than a British melee.

Destroyer DoctrineFleet ScreeningRoyal NavyTorpedoesTribal Class Destroyers (1936)US Navy
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Question

How did the US Navy react to the British Tribal-class destroyers?

Short answer

It regarded them as interesting but retained torpedo-heavy large destroyers because American doctrine prioritized mass torpedo attacks.

Notes

The Tribal class did not cause the US Navy to abandon its own large-destroyer programme. American designs emphasized heavy torpedo batteries because doctrine anticipated a mass torpedo strike against the enemy battle line. Royal Navy thinking expected a confused close-range melee in which gun-armed destroyers could fight opposing screens. The different ships expressed different tactical problems rather than a simple contest over which navy had the better design.