A Royal Navy short of modern cruisers needed ships that could cover several roles with adequate capability. Treaty limits created a category between destroyers and cruisers in which a large destroyer or flotilla leader could emerge. The Tribals were designed for cruiser and destroyer duties even though purpose-built ships remained better in specialist roles. Their twin 4.7-inch mounting supplied strong surface firepower but lacked the elevation needed against steep air attacks once destroyers became targets in their own right.
Chapter · 11:24-16:07
Why the Tribals sat between destroyers and cruisers
The design chapter explains how treaty limits and cruiser shortages produced a large destroyer meant to cover both destroyer and cruiser duties.