Haida's hull reveals a recognition clue created by the Tribal-class layout. Destroyers usually lacked an armor belt and could therefore carry a continuous run of portholes, while cruisers and battleships often left the armored midships area unpierced. The Tribals also omitted midships portholes despite being destroyers. On these unusually large destroyers, that visual break created a cruiser-like profile at distance.
Notable Point · 10:18-10:56
How the Tribal class acquired a cruiser-like silhouette
The absence of midships portholes gave Tribal-class destroyers a profile that could be mistaken for a small cruiser at distance.