The Tribal class, or Afridi class, is a class of destroyers built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Australian Navy that saw service in World War II. Originally conceived during design studies for a light fleet cruiser,

As some of the Royal Navy's most modern and powerful escort ships, the Tribal class served with distinction in nearly all theatres of World War II. Only a handful of Royal Navy Tribals survived the war, all of which were subsequently scrapped from hard use, while Commonwealth Tribals continued to serve into the Cold War, serving with distinction in the Korean War. Only one Tribal survives: , as a museum ship in Hamilton Harbour, Ontario, Canada.

Design history

From 1926, all Royal Navy destroyers had descended from a common lineage based upon the prototypes and . During the interwar period, advances in armament and machinery meant that by the mid-1930s these "interwar standard" destroyers were being eclipsed by foreign designs, particularly from Japan, Italy, and Germany. To counteract this trend, the Admiralty decided on a new destroyer type, with an emphasis on gunnery over torpedo warfare. The destroyer was based on 'Design V', a design study for a small fleet cruiser (another variant of this design evolved into the ). This design envisioned a 1,850-ton ship with a speed of , an endurance of , and five twin 4.7 inch guns as main armament.

left|thumb|A twin Mk.XII mounting on

Although the design was rejected for the fleet cruiser role, The ships were also armed with a quadruple bank of torpedo tubes. The Canadian order was for four ships from British yards in 1940 (completed in 1942 and 1943) and another four from Canadian yards at Halifax in 1942. The latter were not completed until after the war.

Between 1937 and 1945, twenty-seven Tribals were built. Estimated cost per ship was around £340,000 excluding weaponry, and £520,000 overall.

Modifications

thumb|left|Twin QF 4-inch Mk XVI naval guns of HMCS Haida

Wartime modifications

The Royal Navy equipped the Tribal class with a comparatively heavy anti-aircraft armament; all eight 4.7in guns could engage aircraft with predicted fire using the FKC computer, and thus provide a powerful augmentation to the battle-fleet's AA defence. The close range AA armament of a quad 2pdr and two quad Vickers machine guns was a marked advance over previous destroyer classes and heavier than most other nations' close range destroyer armament in 1939. However, prewar, the Royal Navy assumed that destroyers would be acting mainly as escorts for the battle-fleet, and would not be the primary focus of aerial attack and would not require more than 40-degree elevation for the main armament. The mainmast was cut down and the rear funnel was lowered to improve the arcs of fire for the anti-aircraft weapons. As they became available, the more effective 20 mm Oerlikon guns were added, at first adding to and eventually replacing the .50 in./12.7 mm machine guns. Depth charge storage was also increased, from 30 to 46 charges.

By 1944, the four surviving British Tribals were given a tall lattice foremast to carry a Type 293 radar target indication and Type 291 air warning, with Type 285 radar added to the rangefinder-director. The first two Canadian built Tribals, Micmac and Nootka, were armed with the then standard armament of three 4.7-inch twin mountings and a single twin 4-inch mount, with the 4.7-inch mounts being given improved A.A. fuze setters, while the last two Canadian-built Tribals were equipped with eight Mark XVI guns with R.P.C. and four to six Bofors 40 mm guns as standard, along with a Mk VI Director. a pair of Squid mortars for anti-submarine warfare, and a twin 3 inch/50 Mark 33 gun on the 'X' position as an anti-aircraft weapon. Sensors were also upgraded for their new roles. Refitted Canadian Tribals continued to serve until the 1960s. The aft-most gun mounting was removed, with the space modified to accommodate a Squid anti-submarine mortar. Financial restrictions meant that the third Australian Tribal, Bataan, was not modernised, and a combination of manpower shortages and rapid obsolescence saw all three ships decommissioned by the end of the 1950s. this was the last true naval boarding action for the Royal Navy. Gurkha was an early loss, being sunk by German bombers off Stavanger. Bedouin, Punjabi, Eskimo and Cossack took part in the Second Battle of Narvik, where Eskimo had her bow blown off.

1941

In May 1941, Somali, Bedouin, and Eskimo, along with the N-class destroyer , and Royal Navy cruisers , , and boarded the German weather ship München, retrieving vital Enigma cypher codebooks. In the same month, Zulu, Sikh, Cossack, Maori and Polish (N-class destroyer) were in action against the , with Mashona being sunk by German aircraft during these operations. In the Mediterranean Sea, Mohawk was lost as part of "Force K", torpedoed by the in April, while Cossack, Sikh, Zulu, and Maori took part in Operation Substance, a relief convoy heading to Malta. Cossack was torpedoed by in October while escorting Convoy HG 74 in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Gibraltar, sinking later under tow. Maori and Sikh were amongst the victors at the Battle of Cape Bon in December.

1942

In 1942, Matabele was torpedoed and sunk by in the Barents Sea and Maori was hit in the engine room by a bomb whilst lying in Grand Harbour, Valletta, in February, catching fire and later blowing up where she lay. Punjabi was accidentally rammed and sunk by the battleship in May, whilst performing close escort in thick weather. In June, Bedouin was disabled in action with Regia Marina's cruisers and during Operation Harpoon. Also that month, Somali was torpedoed by while covering the returning Russian Convoy QP 14. Although taken under tow by , she sank four days later after heavy weather broke her back.

thumb|right|A 1944 Canadian [[postage stamp showing a Tribal-class destroyer]]

The Canadian Tribals were also heavily engaged; Athabaskan was hit by German glide bombs while conducting operations in the Bay of Biscay and was put out of action for almost three months, while Haida and Huron escorted the various Arctic convoys.

1944

Eskimo, Ashanti, Athabaskan, Haida, Huron, Nubian, Tartar and later Iroquois saw extensive action in the English Channel before and after Operation Overlord, sinking or damaging a variety of enemy ships.

In April, and engaged two s in the Channel. Athabaskan was sunk by a torpedo from T24, while Haida pursued and forced aground T27. Haida and Eskimo also sank the German U-boat with depth charges and close-in gunfire, rescuing 53 survivors.

Notes

References

  • Unlucky Lady: The Life and Death of HMCS Athabaskan 1940–44, Len Burrow & Emile Beudoin, Canada's Wings, 1983,
  • HMCS Haida: Battle Ensign Flying, Barry M. Gough, Vanwell, 2001,
  • HMCS Haida Official Web Site
  • Canadian Tribal Destroyer Association
  • Booklet of general plans, circa 1941. Courtesy of the Historic Naval Ships Association.