s were designed to provide improved anti-aircraft defence on a platform with improved stability. The early war years had exposed the weakness of the inter-war designs in this respect and there had been serious losses to air attack. As a result, the Battle-class vessels were significantly larger (effectively successors to the Tribals) and incorporated stabilisers; the main battery was four guns on two twin high-angle mountings, supported by fourteen 40 mm Bofors cannon. The superstructure was so arranged as to maximise the fields of fire.