Tribal-class destroyers and illumination by fire

The Royal Navy trained broadly for night action, with the Tribal-class flotillas doing sustained work in that role. Their 4.7-inch guns were not expected to penetrate a battleship's main protection, yet repeated shell bursts could damage exposed fittings and illuminate the target. That visible outline would help other ships calculate and launch torpedo attacks. The phrase "illumination by fire" captures a tactical use of gunfire beyond direct destructive effect. Moving a Tribal flotilla into ABDA would add a trained night-fighting system, not merely more destroyer hulls.