Financial considerations dictated that the new class be built with transverse framing and the suggestion that longitudinal framing be used was rejected since it was too expensive. Initially, the contract price was estimated to be approximately 340,000 pounds. In reality, the ships cost anywhere between 512,000 and 523,000 pounds per copy. No fewer than eight designs were prepared before one could be found to satisfy all requirements. When the overall design of the Tribals came before the Admiralty Board, a Sea Lord criticized the straight stem (the line of the bow) and pencilled on the drawing, the slight curve that he thought would improve the look. This modification was accepted as drawn, thus giving the new Tribal class a powerful, beautiful and effective look. The new class derived its Tribal name from the Tribal or F class of 1907. In preparing the final design, Mr. A.P. Cole wanted to design a good looking ship in the hope that the officers and men would be proud of her appearance. Such a feature cannot easily be measured.
The main armament was to be eight, 4.7 inch guns in four, Mk XIX LA (Low Angle)/HA (High Angle), 40 degree twin mountings; close range armament would consist of four 2 pounder 'pompoms' in one quadruple Mk VII mounting, plus eight 0.5 inch machine guns in two quadruple mountings. Other armament included four, Mk IX torpedoes launched by explosive charge. On port and starboard, just aft of the torpedo tubes there would be depth-charge throwers and a depth charge chute at the stern. As originally designed, the magazines housed two thousand four hundred 4.7 inch shells divided into the following catagories: 1,600 LA shells; 400 HA shells and 400 star shells; 14,400 rounds of 2 pounder ammunition and 10,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition. Up to 30 depth charges would be carried aboard. Initially, the Tribals were fitted with ceramic wash basins in the Officers quarters situated near the aft end. It was found that the basins cracked when depth charges exploded so stainless steel basins were fitted in order to remedy the problem.
The range-finder director estimated the height and speed of a target and controlled the anti-aircraft (AA) gun via the Admiralty Fire Control Clock situated in the Transmitting Station. The clock provided data for gun elevation, gun bearing and fuse settings for the shell, otherwise known as the fire control solution. When all was ready, the 4.7 inch guns could be fired at a rate of ten rounds per minute. The system worked quite well provided that the ship remain steady, the target aircraft flew straight and level, that the gun did not have to fire higher than 40 degrees elevation and that the air attack did not total more than five minutes in duration, otherwise all of the AA ammunition would be used up.
Overall length of the new class would be 377 feet; a beam of 36.5 feet and a draught of 9 feet with a standard displacement of 1854 tons. The bridge differed from the majority of ships of earlier classes. Instead of being situated directly below the upper bridge, the wheelhouse was located forward of the bridge structure. This enabled the upper bridge to be lowered, thus lowering and improving the Tribal's silhouette. The upward slope of the wheelhouse roof would deflect the air turbulence caused by 'A' and 'B' gun mountings. As a result, the bridge was relatively free of draught. One commanding officer was heard to complain that he had to go to the wings of the bridge to get some fresh air.
Three Admiralty type 3 drum boilers would produce steam at 300 lb/sq.in and two Parsons, reaction type, single induction steam turbines would collectively deliver 44,000 shaft horsepower to twin propellers thus giving the vessel a top speed of 36 knots. A fuel capacity of 520 tons of bunker oil would yield an endurance of 5,700 nautical miles at 15 knots. Fuel consumption would be substantially greater if higher speeds were maintained for any length of time. The ships company would total 190 men. Ships employed as flotilla or divisional leaders would be manned by 219 people.
In 1935, plans called for the construction of seven Tribals. A year later, this forecast was revised to sixteen vessels. On 10th March 1936, three days after the German troops marched into the Rhineland, orders for the first seven Tribals were sent out to the shipbuilders and in June 1936, the second batch was ordered. On 9th June 1936, the keels of the first two Tribals (AFRIDI and COSSACK) were laid down at the Vickers-Armstrong High Walker Yard on the Tyne River. The sixteen ships were organized into the 1st Tribal Destroyer Flotilla (AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK, SIKH, COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU and NUBIAN) and the 2nd Tribal Destroyer Flotilla (SOMALI, ASHANTI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, TARTAR, MATABELE, BEDOUIN and PUNJABI). They were intended to serve in the Mediterranean and Home Fleets respectively. By May 1939, experience had shown that although larger, the Tribals were just normal destroyers and not a special type. The 1st Tribal Destroyer Flotilla was renamed the 4th Destroyer Flotilla. The 2nd Tribal Destroyer Flotilla became the 6th Destroyer Flotilla.
The sixteen British Tribals had been reduced down to four by 1943. Remaining in service, were ASHANTI, ESKIMO, NUBIAN and TARTAR. Soon these were to be joined by four Canadian Tribals which were being built for the Royal Canadian Navy by Vickers-Armstrong. Those ships were ATHABASKAN, HURON, HAIDA and IROQUOIS. In April 1944, ATHABASKAN would be lost. Canada was also building four more Tribals in Halifax (ATHABASKAN II, CAYUGA, MICMAC, and NOOTKA) but these would not see service until after World War II. Australia built three of her own Tribals (ARUNTA, BATAAN and WARRAMUNGA) which saw service during the war. Four more ships had been projected but never constructed.
After the Tribals entered service, it was found that many cracks were developing in the hull and its reinforcing structure as a result of running at high speed in rough seas. "How wide is it this morning?" was an often repeated question heard from ships' crews. The later hulls were re-designed and the early ones were stiffened during refit.
As the class developed, extra equipment meant that personnel had to be crammed into shrinking living quarters. Hammocks touching, messdecks two feet deep in water, violent weather, infrequent mail, irregular leave all led to petty irritations which eventually assumed monstrous proportions. Regardless of rank or branch, some people simply got on each other's nerves. Some Tribals were happier than others, but overall, there was a bond of camaraderie between ships' companies more in this class than in any other. Some ships became so close or 'chummy' that their crews seemed completely interchangeable.
By 1949, the four remaining Royal Navy Tribals had been scrapped while most of the Canadian and Australian ships were altered considerably to perform new tasks in an ever changing world. By the 1960's most of the class was gone except for ARUNTA which sank on the way to the breakers yard. Today, only HMCS HAIDA survives.
A TRIBAL POEM
There are specks on the horizon
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