Daniel de Pass commanded Cossack until December 1939, when Sherbrooke took over. From 18 January to 28 March 1940, Philip Vian used Cossack while Afridi underwent maintenance, temporarily assigning Sherbrooke to Afridi and arranging shore leave for him. Sherbrooke returned to Cossack on 29 March, but Vian made her his flotilla flagship again on 21 May and gave Sherbrooke command of Matabele the following day. Each Tribal-class destroyer was large enough to carry flotilla command staff and facilities, so Vian did not depend on one specialized leader. These transfers kept experienced officers at sea while making room for maintenance and rest.
Notable Point · 7:40-10:16
How Vian rotated Tribal-class commands
Philip Vian's transfers among Cossack, Afridi, and Matabele show how similar large destroyers supported flexible flotilla command and personnel management.