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The ''Afridi''-class were a large group of destroyers that saw action in the Second World War , almost invariably called "Tribals". HISTORY In 1936 , the Royal Navy ordered sixteen destroyers to compete with the similarly sized vessels being built for Japan , Germany , and Italy . Australia built three ships (out of an initial plan for 7) for its navy from 1939 . The first two were complete and entered service in 1942 . The third, ''Bataan'', was not completed until mid- 1945 . Canada ordered four ships from British shipyards in 1940 and 1941 which were completed in 1942 and 1943 ; and another four from the yards at Halifax in 1942, but these were not completed until after the war. Altogether, between 1937 and 1945 twenty-seven were built for the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Australian Navy. The ships protected Convoy s and hunted U-boat s in the Battle Of The Atlantic , the Norway Campaign , and the Mediterranean . Twelve out of the sixteen Royal Navy Tribals were sunk, and one Canadian Tribal was also lost. The Tribals are considered beautiful ships and are remembered with great affection to this day. They are named after ethnic groups and many share names with an earlier Tribal Class of destroyers that served in World War I , and a class of frigates that served post-war. ''Gurkha'' has the rare distinction of being the name of two ships that were sunk in World War II. Post war, the remaining Royal Navy ships were scrapped. The Australian and Canadian ships, with the exception of ''Micmac'', served at Korea, with ''Bataan'' at one point escorting a United States Aircraft Carrier with the same name. HMCS ''Haida'' (G63), the most famous ship in the Royal Canadian Navy, having sunk more enemy surface tonnage than any other Canadian ship is the only surviving Tribal-class destroyer. ''Haida'' is part of the Canada Marine Discovery Centre, a National Historic Site, in Hamilton, Ontario . SHIPS Royal Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Australian Navy The ships today ''Haida'', the only surviving Tribal, has been restored and preserved as a museum in the harbour of Hamilton, Ontario Canada . The bow of ''Maori'' lies in 13m (43 feet) of water in Marsamaxett Harbour , Valletta, Malta where it sunk during World War II . It is a well-known Scuba diving site. BOOKS ABOUT THE TRIBALS
The fictional ''Missinabi'' was created by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for a Radio serial during the Second World War using a fictional Indian tribe mentioned by Stephen Leacock in '' Sunshine Sketches Of A Little Town ''. EXTERNAL LINKS
SEE ALSO Tribal Class Destroyer (1905) |
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