Heavy gun armament gave the Tribal class useful options against surface targets, shore positions, and aircraft as the Second World War approached. Torpedoes remained part of the fit, but guns could perform missions that torpedoes could not. The 4.7-inch battery lacked a proper dual-purpose mounting and could not engage aircraft at all the desired elevations. Short-range pom-poms only partly compensated, leaving a weakness in an otherwise flexible destroyer.
Notable Point · 40:39-42:00
Tribal-class guns meet the aircraft threat
The Tribal class shows why a gun-heavy destroyer suited bombardment and fleet defence, but also why inadequate dual-purpose mounts limited its response to aircraft.