How happy would the Royal Navy be if every destroyer in service or on order became a fully crewed Tribal-class destroyer on 1 September 1939?
Short answerNot entirely happy at first, because an all-Tribal force would greatly reduce the torpedo capacity needed for the Royal Navy's expected mass attacks, though wartime experience would make the gun-heavy ships look more valuable.
NotesThe question replaces every British destroyer in service or on order on 1 September 1939 with a fully crewed Tribal-class ship. The immediate reaction would be mixed because the Royal Navy still expected destroyers to deliver mass torpedo attacks. Tribals were formidable gun-armed destroyers, but converting the whole force would sharply reduce the number of torpedo tubes available for that doctrine. Wartime experience would make the substitution look much more attractive, exposing the difference between prewar expectations and the missions that later proved important.