Q&A ยท 8:41-9:16

Tribal destroyers at night-fighting range

A sightline across Hamilton Harbour gives a rough sense of how closely destroyers could approach during night torpedo attacks.

Question

What would Haida look like at the close torpedo range discussed in relation to Bismarck?

Short answer

Nearby buildings provide only a rough scale, but the distance is described as naval knife-fighting range, especially at night.

Notes

Nearby waterfront buildings provide a rough stand-in for the distance being discussed. The comparison concerns the torpedo range at which a Tribal-class destroyer might close during an action involving Bismarck. At night, destroyers could approach especially closely. Seeing that distance across Hamilton Harbour makes the phrase "naval knife-fighting range" physically intelligible.