were not mounted in all ships; Twenty depth charges was the peacetime allotment, but this 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, Ashanti was the first ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy. The ship was ordered on 19 June 1936 from William Denny and was laid down on 23 November at the company's Dumbarton shipyard. Launched on 5 November 1937, Ashanti was commissioned on 21 December 1938 at a cost of £340,770 which excluded weapons and communications outfits furnished by the Admiralty. The ship's completion was delayed by the late delivery of her gun mounts. Pre-war Although it was initially intended for all Tribal-class destroyers to visit the land of the people after whom they were named, Ashanti was one of the few to actually do this. She sailed to Takoradi, Gold Coast, on 27 February 1939. During the visit, the ship's company was presented with a silver bell and a gold shield by the Asantehene, the ceremonial leader of the Ashanti, then the Chief Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II. The ship also accepted visitors from the tribe, many of whom presented good-luck charms and symbols of valour and survival to the ship. In May 1939, the ship went to France on a good-will visit as part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, the Tribal-equipped flotilla of the Home Fleet. It was in preparation for the threat of war in Europe and for British seamen to make friends with their future allies of the French Navy. The following month, Ashanti, as part of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, attempted to rescue the stricken submarine . Although the submarine was found still intact, salvage attempts failed and only four men