increased to 30 during wartime. Wartime modifications Heavy losses to German air attack during the Norwegian Campaign demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the Tribals' anti-aircraft suite and the RN decided in May 1940 to replace 'X' mount with two QF Mark XVI dual-purpose guns in a twin-gun mount. To better control the guns, the existing rangefinder/director was modified to accept a Type 285 gunnery radar as they became available. The number of depth charges was increased to 46 early in the war, and still more were added later. To increase the firing arcs of the AA guns, the rear funnel was shortened and the mainmast was reduced to a short pole mast. Construction and career Authorized as one of nine Tribal-class destroyers under the 1936 Naval Estimates, Eskimo was the second ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy. The ship was ordered on 19 June 1936 from Vickers-Armstrong and was laid down on 5 August at the company's High Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne, shipyard. Launched on 3 September 1937, Eskimo was commissioned on 30 December 1938 at a cost of £342,108 which excluded weapons and communications outfits furnished by the Admiralty. Eskimo participated in the Second Battle of Narvik in April 1940. On 12 April, Eskimo was hit by a torpedo fired from German destroyer . The explosion caused severe damage, blowing off Eskimo'''s bow. After temporary repairs by the shipwrights of the fleet repair ship Vindictive at Skjelfjorden in Norway, Eskimo was able to return to the Vickers-Armstrong works at Newcastle for rebuilding, which took until Sept. 1940. She supported the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942 and served with the 10th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth. Eskimo was extensively damaged when two German dive bombers attacked her in the Mediterranean while taking part in Operation Husky. She cornered and sank the enemy German submarine while in company with the Canadian destroyer and a Liberator aircraft of the Czech air force in the English Channel north of Brest on 24 June 1944. On 13 July 1944, Eskimo and engaged the vorpostenboote V 203 Carl Röver, V 213 Claus Bolten and the minesweeper in the English Channel. Although V 213 Claus Bolten and M 4611 were sunk and V 203 Carl Röver was severely damaged, Eskimo was herself severely damaged by gunfire from V 203 Carl Röver. During the final days of the war, she operated in