Tribals, Battles and Darings: The Genesis of the Modern Destroyer

by Alexander Clarke

Overview

Tribals, Battles and Darings describes the three classes, each designed under different circumstances along destroyer lines but to general-purpose light cruiser form, from the interwar period through to the 1950s, and Alexander Clarke explains the procurement process for each class in the context of the needs and technology of the times. This is the first work to focus these three classes side by side, to examine their conception, their creation and their operational stories, many heroic, and to provide an insight into ship design, operation and culture. In doing so the book aims to contribute a better understanding of one of the most significant periods in the Royal Navy's history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526772909
Publisher:	Naval Institute Press
Publication date:	02/15/2022
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	7.75(w) x 10.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Alexander Clarke's background includes a PhD in War Studies from King's College London, where he studied as part of the Laughton Naval History Unit, under the supervision of Andrew Lambert, as well as a family history of service in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II, and a father who was a naval architect.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Preface 7

1 The Royal Navy of the 1930s 8

2 Forged by War 1939-40 30

3 A Different and Not So Different Kind of War 1941-2 47

4 Cometh the War, Cometh the 'Battle' 65

5 The Shield and the Cannon 1943-5 95

6 To the East and the War is Over 117

7 The Lessons and Legacy of the 'Back Pocket Cruisers' 138

Notes 158

Bibliography 164

Index 174

Editorial Reviews

"Tribals, Battles and Darings opens a window into a period of transition for warships while offering an accessible starting place for looking at the people, events, and ships that influenced this unique period in history. It also provides a clear and straightforward examination of the final stages of the transition of the destroyer, from ships suited to a single mission, to ships that needed to perform a variety of functions in a changing world." —The Northern Mariner

“This is a thoroughly recommended study of three of Britain’s most important classes of warship.” —Key Military

“Tribals, Battles and Darings opens a window into a period of transition for warships while offering an accessible starting place for looking at the people, events, and ships that influenced this unique period in history. It also provides a clear and straightforward examination of the final stages of the transition of the destroyer from ships suited to a single mission to ships that needed to perform a variety of functions in a changing world.” — Nautical Research Journal

From the Publisher