The Tribal class as a night-fighting screen

The Tribal concept was both defensive and aggressive: its guns could hold off enemy destroyers and illuminate targets, allowing torpedo-armed ships to close at night. The class could protect capital ships, fix enemy screens, and cover the more vulnerable destroyers making the torpedo attack. At the Battle of Ushant, Tribals in the 10th Destroyer Flotilla helped drive off a German attack that included a captured Dutch destroyer. Canadian and Australian fleets valued a large, visible combatant able to perform some cruiser-like presence work as well as destroyer missions. For Canada, these ships offered a more consistent major presence than its intermittently available cruisers and carriers. The design suited those navies' priorities, while different priorities could make another destroyer a better fit elsewhere.