Q&A · 39:32-40:49

The uncertain radar fit of Tribal destroyers in 1941

Type 286M is the radar most clearly associated with this operation, but rapid trials and secret variants make exact ship-by-ship fits difficult to state.

Question

Which radar type did the Tribal destroyers carry during the Bismarck hunt?

Short answer

Type 286M is the main documented fit for the operation, but numerous secret or experimental variants prevent complete certainty.

Notes

The Tribals received radar soon after Norway, and their size made them useful test platforms. Type 286M appears most often in material about the Bismarck operation, but numerous variants were fitted and secrecy obscured the records. The identification is therefore cautious rather than a definitive fit list for every ship.