Q&A · 38:59-40:34

Turning the Tribal class into an early Daring

A destroyer-design counterfactual uses the later Daring class to identify technologies Britain could have accelerated before the Second World War.

Question

With modern knowledge, what changes should be made to the Tribal-class destroyer design?

Short answer

The redesign would effectively create an early Daring-class ship, using twin 4.5-inch dual-purpose guns, torpedoes, and radar while ignoring treaties that were about to expire.

Notes

Much of the relevant science and materials already existed, even if the systems had not yet reached practical production. A Daring-like destroyer with four twin 4.5-inch mounts, torpedo launchers, and radar would combine surface firepower with high-angle anti-aircraft capability. Building such ships in numbers from 1937 would create a formidable problem for German and Italian forces.