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Minotaur Class (1908) Technical Details:  Displacement: 14,600 tons Dimensions: Length 519 ft, Beam 75 ft. Draught: 26 ft Machinery: Triple Expansion engines developing 27,000 shp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum speed 23 knots, Range 8,150 nautical miles  Armour: 3 - 6 inch belt, 6 inch barbettes, 8 inch turrets, ½ - 1½ inch decks Armament: 4 x 9.2 inch, 10 x 7.5 inch, 16 x 12 pounder guns + smaller, 5 x 18 inch torpedo tubes  Complement: 755
History: The Minotaurs were the last conventional armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy, and originally had short funnels, but these were raised around 1909-1910 to prevent smoke interference on the bridge. They were also the only ships fitted with twin 9.2 inch gun turrets, and were larger and more heavily armed than previous ships, although many believed they were over gunned at the expense of armour protection. The upper armour belt of previous classes was also omitted, as it was deemed unnecessary due to the secondary armament being turreted and not casemated. There were three ships in the class Defence, Minotaur and Shannon, Shannon having a slightly different hull form and was slightly slower. All three ships were at the Battle of Jutland on the 31st May 1916, where Defence was the flagship of Rear Admiral Arbothnot's 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet. During the action Defence was sunk with all hands by the German battleship Friedrich der Grosse when she suddenly came across the main German battlefleet in the gloom and mist. After Jutland Minotaur and Shannon had a quiet war, and from late 1916 were deployed on convoy duties. In 1919 both ships were paid off into the reserve before Minotaur was sold for breaking up in 1920 and Shannon in 1922. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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1 Home Page Drake Class (1903) Technical Details: Displacement: 14,150 tons Dimensions: Length 535 ft, Beam 71 ft, Draught: 26 ft Machinery: Triple Expansion engines developing 30,000 shp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum speed 24 knots, Range 5,500 nautical miles Armour: 2 - 6 inch belt, 6 inch barbettes, 6 inch turrets, 1 - 2½ inch decks Armament: 2 x 9 inch, 16 x 6 inch, 12 x 12 pounder guns, 2 x 18 inch torpedo tubes Complement: 900 History: The armoured cruiser came about in the late 19th and early 20th century and was designed as a long-range warship that was capable of defeating any warship apart from a battleship, but fast enough to outrun any they encountered. They were also expected to be part of the battle line of any fleet engagement. The Drakes were an enlarged version of the previous Cressy Class, and were for a while amongst the fastest ships in the world. The secondary armament of 6 inch guns was mounted in double casemates in the usual British practice, although the lower guns were of little use in anything but calm conditions. There were four ships in the class, Drake, Good Hope, King Alfred, and Leviathan and on the outbreak of World War One they were to be seen all over the world protecting British interests from enemy raiders, and later for convoy escort duties in the Atlantic. Good Hope was sunk at the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile on the 1st November 1914, after an ill equipped and led British force engaged a powerful German naval Squadron commanded by Von Spee. Drake was lost in October 1917 after being torpedoed by U79 near Rathlin Sound in Northern Ireland. King Alfred and Leviathan were both decommissioned in 1919 before being sold for breaking up in 1920. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy A R M O U R E D C R U I S E R Monmouth Class (1903) Technical Details: Displacement: 9,800 tons Dimensions: Length 460 ft, Beam 66 ft. Draught: 25 ft Machinery: Triple Expansion engines developing 22,000 shp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum speed 23 knots, Range 7,000 nautical miles Armour: 2 - 4 inch belt, 5 inch barbettes, 5 inch turrets, 2 - ½ inch decks Armament: 14 x 6 inch, 13 x 12 pounder guns + smaller, 2 x 18 inch torpedo tubes Complement: 760 History: In response to the number of armoured cruisers being built by Germany, France and the United States, The Royal Navy ordered he Monmouth class in the naval programmes of 1898/1899 and 1900. The ships of the Monmouth Class were often known as the Counties, and were planned to have the same speed as the Drakes Class but smaller and cheaper to build. They were heavily criticised on there introduction as they lacked the heavy main 9.2 inch armament, being armed with fourteen 6 inch guns instead, these being arranged in two twin turrets, one fore and one aft, and five in casemates along each side of the ship. The class consisted of ten ships Bedford, Berwick, Cornwall, Cumberland, Donegal, Essex, Kent, Lancaster, Monmouth and Suffolk, Bedford however was wrecked in 1910 after runnung aground in the far east. On the outbreak of World War One the rest of the class were to be seen around the world protecting British interests from enemy raiders, and later for convoy escort duties. Monmouth was sunk at the Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile on the 1st November 1914, along with the Drake class armoured cruiser Good Hope. All the remaining ships survived the war but were soon paid-ff after hostilities ended and were sold for breaking up in 1920/21. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy A R M O U R E D C R U I S E R
A R M O U R E D     C R U I S E R
Hawkins Class (1919) Technical Details:  Displacement: 9,750 tons  Dimensions: Length 605 ft, Beam 58 ft, Draught: 17 ft 3 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  70,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 31 knots, Range 6,200 nautical miles Armour: 1½ - 3 inch belt, 1½ inch bulkheads, 1½ inch decks, 2 inch gunshields, 2 inch magazines  Armament: 7 x 7.5 inch, 4 x 4 inch guns, 4 x 3 inch AA guns, 2 x 2 pdr pom poms, 6 x 21 inch torpedo tubes  Complement: 712
History: In 1915 the Admiralty became concerned over rumours that a German commerce raider was being laid down in Germany that was capable of high speed and long distances. They immediately set about on a design for a counter measure which would have a heavy armament, long range and high speed, which inevitably resulted in a large ship. The main armament was seven 7.5 inch guns that were to be controlled by the new innovation of director firing, while the turbine machinery installed were designed to deliver 55,000 shp which would give the ship a speed of 29½ knots, while the ships completed after World War One produced 70,000 shp for a speed of 31 knots. there were five ships in the class which entered service between 1919-25. Raleigh became an early casualty after she ran aground on the Labrador coast in Canada during August 1922 and was wrecked. By the mid 1930’s the four surviving ships were scheduled for scrapping, but the political tensions of the time saved them from the breakers yard. Effingham was taken in hand in 1937 and extensively refitted and re-armed, but was lost during the Norwegian campaign in May 1940 when she also ran aground. Vindictive became a fleet repair ship in 1940 and was scrapped with Frobisher and Raleigh in the late 1940s. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
H E A V Y   C R U I S E R
County Class (Kent Group 1928) Technical Details: Displacement: 10,400 tons Dimensions: Length 630 ft, Beam 68 ft, Draught: 17 ft 3 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing 80,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 31½ knots, Range 10,000 nautical miles Armour: 4½ inch belt, 1 inch bulkheads, 1-1½ inch decks, 1 inch barbettes, 1 inch turrets Armament: 8 x 8 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 2 x quad 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quad 0.5 inch AA mounts, Aircraft: 3 x Supermarine Walrus Complement: 780 History: Designed to the limits of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, the Royal Navy ordered the first five ships of the ‘County’ class in 1924, a further two being built for the Royal Australian Navy. Compared to the designs of other nations, the Kent group were inferior in firepower and armour, but had an unrivalled radius of action of over 10,000 miles as they were designed to patrol the empire and hunt down commerce raiders in wartime. They were expected to spend weeks at a time at sea, and the living accommodation aboard was unequalled in any other class of warship in the Royal Navy. The Kent group consisted of Berwick, Cumberland, Kent, Suffolk and Cornwall which all entered service in 1928. After the outbreak of World War Two Cornwall mainly served on trade protection duties in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, but on the 5th April 1942 was sunk by Japanese carrier aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The remaining ships survived World War Two, Cumberland spending most of her war in the South Atlantic and Far East. Berwick, Kent and Suffolk spent most of their time with the Home Fleet on convoy defence duties or in the Mediterranean. In 1948 Berwick, Kent and Suffolk were sold for breaking up, Cumberland being used as a trials ship and survived until 1959. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy H E A V Y C R U I S E R County Class (London Group 1929) Technical Details: Displacement: 10,400 tons Dimensions: Length 630 ft, Beam 68 ft, Draught: 17 ft 3 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing 80,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 31½ knots, Range 10,000 nautical miles Armour: 4½ inch belt, 1 inch bulkheads, 1-1½ inch decks, 1 inch barbettes, 1 inch turrets Armament: 8 x 8 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 2 x quad 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quad 0.5 inch AA mounts, Aircraft: 3 x Supermarine Walrus Complement: 780 History: A second group of four County class ships was ordered in 1926 which closely followed the design of the Kents. The external bulges were replaced by a second skin of inner plating which reduced the beam by 2 feet, while the hull was lengthened by 2 feet 9 inches, the new shape allowing a ¾ knot increase in speed. Known as the London group, the ships were named Devonshire, London, Sussex and Shropshire, and in 1928 a further two ships, Norfolk and Dorsetshire were ordered which were repeats with minor alterations. By the late 1930’s the class was due to be modernised, and in 1938 London was taken in hand for a major reconstruction. They received a new superstructure, and lost the distinctive three funnels for two upright ones. The new layout however overstressed the hull, and it was not until 1943 that this was rectified. The outbreak of World War Two prevented her sisters from being modernised along similar lines. On the 5th April 1942 Dorsetshire and her near sister Cornwall were sunk by Japanese carrier aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The other members of the group survived the war and were scrapped between 1950-55, London being the first after she sustained damage from Chinese communist forces during the Yangtse incident in April 1949. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy H E A V Y C R U I S E R
York Class (1930) Technical Details:  Displacement:  8,250 tons Dimensions: Length 575 ft, Beam 57 ft, Draught: 17 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  80,000 shp, Four shafts  Performance: Maximum speed: 32¼ knots, Range 6,100 nautical miles Armour: 3 inch belt, 1½ inch decks, 1 inch turrets, 1- 4 inch magazine Armament: 6 x 8 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 2 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quadruple 0.5 inch machine guns, 2 x triple 21 in torpedo tubes Aircraft Carried: 1 x Fairey Seafox Complement: 623
History: The York class were the last 8 inch gunned cruisers built for the Royal Navy and were a cut down versions of the County class. They were armed with only three twin 8 inch turrets as opposed to four, the absolute minimum required to observe the fall of shot accurately, and consequence were 50 foot shorter in length and 9 feet in the beam. Protection was improved with a 3 inch 8 ft deep main belt and an armoured lower deck, which overall resulted in a saving of 1,750 tons which would allow more ships to be built under the terms of the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty. Two ships were authorised, but it was not long before the 8 inch gun went out of favour and further units of the York class were never ordered. York and Exeter entered service in 1930 and 1931 respectively, and were easily recognised from each other as Exeter had straight masts and funnels, while those of York were raked. Both ships were lost during World War Two. York was at anchor in Suda Bay in Crete when she was hit by Italian explosive motor boats and was beached, later being wrecked by demolition charges. Exeter was present during the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939 against the German raider Graf Spee, but was sunk by Japanese naval forces in the Sunda Straites on the 1at March 1942. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
H E A V Y   C R U I S E R
‘C’ Class (Caledon Group 1917) Technical Details:  Displacement:  4,238 tons  Dimensions: Length 450 ft, Beam 42 ft 3 ins, Draught: 18 ft 9 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  40,000 shp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum Speed: 29 knots, Maximum Range 2,500 miles Armour: 1¼ - 3 inch belt, 1 inch decks, 6 inch conning tower  Armament: 5 x 6 inch Mk XII guns, 2 x 3 inch high angle AA guns, 8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes  Complement: 438
History: The ‘C’ class was the progressive development of the light cruiser in the Royal Navy during World War One, and descended from the earlier Arethusa class of 1914. Armed with six inch guns in single mounts, they were excellent seaboats for their designed area of operations in the North Sea, and sufficiently armoured to survive considerable damage. They were built in three groups that starting with the ‘Caledon’ group that entered service in 1917. The Ceres group that followed were generally similar but with a few minor improvements, these ships entering service in 1917-18. The final Carlisle group were still under construction when the war ended, and did not enter service until 1919-22. In total there were fourteen ships in the ‘C’ Class, but with the advances in cruiser design during the 1920s the class was soon declared obsolescent and placed in reserve. It was decided in the mid 1930s to turn them into AA vessels, but only seven ships were ever converted. Eight ships of the class were lost. The first was Casandra when she was mined in the Baltic Sea in 1919. During World War Two Curlew was sunk of Norway in 1940. Calypso, Coventry, Cairo, Calcutta and Carlisle were lost in the Mediterranean, while Curacao was sunk in a collision with the liner Queen Mary off Northern Ireland. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Danae Class (1918) Technical Details:  Displacement:  4,650 tons  Dimensions: Length 471 ft, Beam 46 ft, Draught: 14 ft 6 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  40,000 shp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 29 knots,  Range 2,650 nautical miles Armour: 1 - 3 inch belt, 1 inch decks  Armament: 6 x 6 inch, 2 x 3 inch HA guns, 8 x 21 inch torpedo tubes Complement: 344
History: The Danae class was designed in 1916 and incorporated the lessons learnt from the Battle of Jutland, principally in the level of protection. Compared to the Caledons the hull was lengthened to accommodate an additional 6 inch gun between the bridge and the first funnel. Only Danae and Dragon were completed in time to see any service in the First World War when they joined the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron at Harwich in the Autumn of 1918. There were eight members of the class, Danae, Dauntless, Delhi, Despatch, Diomede, Dragon, Durban and Dunedin, which by the late 1930’s were in the reserve fleet, but were recommissioned in 1939 shortly before the outbreak of World War Two. Modifications were made to the ships in their armament during the war, although Delhi was sent to the U.S.A. in 1942 where she received a new bridge and rearmed with U.S. Navy single turret 5 inch DP guns, except for ‘Q’ 6 inch gun which was retained. Only one ship was lost during World War Two. On the 24th November 1941, Dunedin was in the Central Atlantic, north east of Recife, when she was torpedoed and sank. Of the remaining ships Dragon and Durban were sunk as part of the Mulberry Harbour in Northern France in 1944, while the others were soon scrapped after the war. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Emerald Class (1926) Technical Details:  Displacement: 7,580 tons  Dimensions: Length 570 ft, Beam 54 ft 6 ins, Draught: 16 ft 6 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  80,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 33 knots, Range 9,200 nautical miles Armour: 1½ - 3 inch belt, 1 inch bulkheads, 1 inch decks, 2 inch gunshields, 2 inch magazines  Armament: 7 x 6 inch, 3 x 4 inch HA guns,  2 x 2 pounder pom poms, 21 inch torpedo tubes,  Aircraft: 1  Complement: 572
History: In 1917 there was speculation at the Admiralty that the Germans were planning a cruiser that could outpace the C and D Classes which were about to enter service, and as a consequence the E Class was designed to counter this threat. Much was sacrificed to achieve the required speed of 33 knots as double the horsepower was needed. This required the hull to be increased in length by 100 feet to accommodate the machinery, which in turn increased the displacement by more than 50%. The turbines were housed in two engine rooms which drove four shafts, while eight boilers were located in four boiler rooms, while armament and armour protection remained similar to the D class. Two ships were laid down in mid 1918, but when World War One ended in November, work on the ships was stopped. The decision was later taken to complete the ships, with Emerald and Enterprise finally entering service in 1926. On the outbreak of World War Two, both ships served with the Home Fleet in northern waters before serving spells with Force H at Gibraltar. In 1942 both ships were sent to the Indian Ocean before returning to the UK in early 1944 to ta participate in the Normandy landings in June 1944. Enterprise was scrapped in 1946 and Emerald in 1948. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Leander Class (1931) Technical Details:  Displacement: 6,980 tons  Dimensions: Length 554 ft, Beam 55 ft 9 ins, Draught: 16 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  72,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 32½ knots, Range 6,600 nautical miles Armour: 4 inch belt, 1½ inch bulkheads, 1¼ inch decks, 1 inch turrets, 1-3½ inch magazines  Armament: 8 x 6 inch, 8 x 4 inch  guns, 3 x quadruple 0.5 inch AA mounts, 2 x quadruple 21 in torpedo tubes  Aircraft: 2 x Fairey Seafox  Complement: 570
History: The Leander class were the first 6 inch gunned cruisers designed for the Royal Navy since World War One, and were intended to replace the old ‘C’ and ‘D’ Class. They were armed with a new twin 6 inch gun turret, first trialled on the E class cruiser Enterprise, and were elegant ships with a large single funnel, a unique feature for British cruisers. Eight ships were built, five of which served with the Australian and New Zealand navies. Their main armament of eight six inch guns was complemented by four single 4 inch dual purpose guns, which by World War Two had been replaced by four twin mounts. There were eight ships in the class Achilles, Ajax, Amphion, Apollo, Leander, Neptune, Orion and Phaeton, Achilles and Leander being loaned to New Zealand, while Amphion, Apollo and Phaeton were sold to Australian before the start of World War Two and renamed Perth, Hobart and Sydney respectively. Two members of the class were lost during World War Two. Sydney was sunk by the German commerce raider Kormoran of Australia on the 19th November 1941, and Neptune was mined in the Mediterranean off Libya on the 19th December 1942. In 1948 Achilles was sold to India and renamed Delhi, the remaining ships being scrapped between 1949-62. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
L I G H T   C R U I S E R
Arethusa Class (1935) Technical Details:  Displacement: 5,220 tons Dimensions: Length 506 ft, Beam 51 ft, Draught: 14 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  64,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 32¼ knots, Range 6,100 nautical miles Armour: 2¼ inch belt, 1 inch bulkheads, 1 inch decks, 1 inch turrets, 3 inch magazines Armament: 6 x 6 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 2 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quadruple 0.5 inch machine guns, 2 x triple 21 inch torpedo tubes Aircraft: 1 x Fairey Seafox Complement: 500
History: To build as many cruisers as possible under the tonnage restrictions of the London Naval Treaty of 1930, the Royal Navy came up with the Arethusa class which was a cut down version of the Leanders. They had only three turrets, the aft superfiring turret being discarded, allowing the hull to be shortened by 50 feet. Welded construction was used also to save weight, and on average the ships were 1,750 tons lighter in displacement. The large trunked single funnel of the Leanders was replaced with the two funnels of the Amphion group. With the abandonment of the treaty by Japan only four ships were to be built, Arethusa, Aurora, Galatea and Penelope, the Admiralty seeing their primary function as hunting down commerce raiders and as standby fleet cruisers. They did however have a very active career in the Mediterranean during World War Two. Two members of the class were lost during th conflict. Galatea was torpedoed and sunk off Alexandria By U-557 on the 15th December 1941, and Penelope was torpedoed and sunk off Anzio by U-410 on the 18th February 1944. Off the survivors Aurora was sold to Nationalist China and renamed Chungking in 1948. In 1949 the crew went over to the communists and was later sunk by the Nationalists at her moorings. Arethusa was scrapped in 1950. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
L I G H T   C R U I S E R
Southampton Class (1937) Technical Details:  Displacement: 9,100 tons Dimensions: Length 591 ft 6 ins,  Beam 61 ft 9 ins,  Draught: 17 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  75,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 32 knots, Range 6,100 nautical miles Armour: 4½ inch belt, 2½ inch bulkheads, 1½ inch decks, 1 inch turrets, 4½ inch magazine Armament: 12 x 6 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 2 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quadruple 0.5 inch machine guns, 2 x triple 21 in torpedo tubes Aircraft: 2 x Supermarine Walrus Complement: 750
History: The Southampton Class was designed in the early 1930s to counter the American Brooklyn and Japanese Mogami class that were under construction. In the Admiralty a fierce debate arose over the size of their main armament, as it was argued that the weight of a 6 inch shell, which was less than half of an 8 inch (100 lb against 250 lb), would be countered by the larger number of guns and their more rapid rate of fire, giving the 6 inch gunned cruiser a superiority in weight of broadside per minute of nearly three to one. The 6 inch gun supporters won the day and eight ships were soon ordered, Birmingham, Glasgow, Gloucester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Southampton, with the class entering service between March 1937 and January 1939. Three ships were lost during World War Two, all being lost while serving in the Mediterranean Sea. Southampton was bombed and scuttled south east of Malta on the 11th January 1941. Gloucester was bombed and sunk by German aircraft near Crete on the 22nd May 1941, while Manchester was torpedoed and sunk by Italian MTB’s off Cape Bob on the 13th August 1942. The five surviving ships remained in service with the Royal Navy after World War Two and were scrapped between 1958 and 1967. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
L I G H T   C R U I S E R
Edinburgh Class (1939) Technical Details:  Displacement: 10,260 tons Dimensions: Length 613 ft 6 ins, Beam 63 ft 3 ins, Draught: 17 ft 3 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  80,000 shp, Four shafts  Performance: Maximum speed: 32½ knots, Range nautical 6,100 miles Armour: 4½ inch belt, 2½ inch bulkheads, 2 inch decks, 4 inch turrets, 3 inch magazine Armament: 12 x 6 inch, 12 x 4 inch guns, 4 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quadruple 0.5 inch AA mounts, 2 x triple 21 in torpedo tubes Aircraft Carried: 3 x Supermarine Walrus Complement: 850
History: The Edinburgh class were a modification of the Southampton design to allow an increase in the main armament from twelve to sixteen 6 inch guns in four quadruple turrets. Trials with the prototype turret were not successful and the idea was dropped and reverted back to the triple turret to prevent their delay into service. It was however possible to increase the anti-aircraft armament with an additional pair of twin 4 inch dual purpose guns and a further two quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, while further armour protection could be added. The aft 6 inch gun turrets were also mounted a deck higher than the Southamptons, the resulting design giving the two ships of the class a startling profile with their long hulls and raked funnels and masts placed well back, which made them appear unbalanced. Edinburgh and Belfast both entered service in August 1939, although Belfast was severely damaged in November after detonating a magnetic mine with repairs taking over two years to complete. In April 1942 Edinburgh was scuttled after being torpedoed and badly damaged by German naval forces while escorting the return Russia convoy QP11. Belfast survived World War Two and served in the Royal Navy until February 1963, and is now a museum ship in London. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Crown Colony Class (Fiji Group 1940) Technical Details:  Displacement: 8,525 tons  Dimensions: Length 555 ft 6 ins, Beam 62 ft, Draught: 16 ft 6 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  72,500 shp, Four shafts Performance: Speed: 31½ knots, Range 11,600 nautical miles Armour: 3½ inch belt, 2 inch bulkheads, 2 inch decks, 1 - 2 inch turrets  Armament: 12 x 6 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 2 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 4 x quadruple 0.5 inch AA mounts, 2 x triple 21 inch torpedo tubes  Aircraft: 2 x Supermarine Walrus  Complement: 730
History: The Crown Colony class were designed to the limitations the Second London Naval Treaty of December 1935 imposed on cruisers, which lowered the Washington limit of 10,000 to 8,000 tons. They were based on the previous Southamptons but 35 feet shorter and a revised armour scheme. They were easily recognised by their straight funnels and masts compared to the Southamptons which were raked, while another distinguishing feature was their transom stern. The first ships were laid down in March 1938 and eight ships were built to this design, Bermuda, Fiji, Gambia, Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria and Trinidad, which entered service between May 1940 and August 1942. Two of the class were lost during World War Two. On the 22nd May 1941 Fiji was badly damaged during the British evacuations of Crete and later hit by a further bombs and rolled over and sank. Trinidad was badly damaged while covering convoy PQ13 and was scuttled on the 15th May 1942 off the North Cape of Norway. The surviving ships remained in service with the Royal Navy until the late 1950s when thy were placed in the Reserve Fleet. Nigeria was sold to India in August 1957 and renamed Mysore and survived until 1985. The remainder of the class were scrapped during the 1960s.. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Crown Colony Class (Ceylon Group 1940) Technical Details:  Displacement: 8,712 tons  Dimensions: Length 555 ft, Beam 62 ft, Draught: 17 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  72,500 shp, Four shafts Performance: Speed: 33 knots, Range 10,200 nautical miles Armour: 3½ inch belt, 2 inch bulkheads, 2 inch decks, 1 - 2 inch turrets  Armament: 9 x 6 inch, 8 x 4 inch guns, 4 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 10 x twin 20 mm  Oerlikon guns 2 x triple 21 inch torpedo tubes  Aircraft: None  Complement: 800
History: A further three ships of the Crown Colony Class were built to a slightly modified design. Wartime experience to date had shown the vulnerability of the aircraft facilities and the need for more anti-aircraft guns, and to rectify this the aircraft facilities were removed and a heavier anti-aircraft armament fitted, X turret being removed as weight compensation. Generally known as the Ceylon group Ceylon, Newfoundland and Uganda entered service between July 1942 and January 1943. Ceylon served with the Home Fleet until late 1943 when she was transferred to the Far East where she served spells with the Eastern and British Pacific Fleet. Postwar she served in the Home fleet, the Far East, East Indies, the Mediterranean and South Atlantic. In 1959 Ceylon was sold to Peru and renamed Coronel Bolognesi, where she survived until 1985. Newfoundland had a similar career to Ceylon and was also sold to Peru in 1959 and renamed Capitán Quiñones. Uganda joined the Home Fleet in early 1943 and served in the Mediterranean before being badly damaged by a glider bomb. On her return to service in 1944 she was presented to the Royal Canadian Navy, and postwar renamed Quebec and used as a training ship, being paid off in 1956 and scrapped in 1961. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Dido Class (1940) Technical Details:  Displacement: 5,600 tons  Dimensions: Length 512 ft, Beam 50 ft 6 ins, Draught: 14 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  62,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 32¼ knots, Range 6,800 nautical miles Armour: 3 inch belt, 1 inch bulkheads, 1 inch decks, 2 inch magazines  Armament: 10 x 5.5 inch dual purpose guns, 2 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms 2 x quadruple 0.5 inch AA mounts, 2 x triple 21 in torpedo tubes  Complement: 480
History: The Dido class were anti-aircraft cruisers that were intended to provide air defence for the fleet, and when required could act as normal cruisers. As designed they were armed with ten 5.25 inch guns in five turrets of a new design, and were based on the hull and machinery of the Arethusa Class. The new gun however proved to be far from perfect, being a good low angle weapon, but not so effective in its intended high angle role, although they were capable of throwing up a fearsome barrage. Originally sixteen ships were to be built, but the last five were completed to a modified design and became the Bellona Class. They began to enter service in May 1940, but the manufacture of the turrets did not keep up with demand as the construction of the King George V class battleships had priority. As a result Dido, Phoebe and Bonaventure had only four turrets, with a single 4 inch dual purpose gun replacing the missing mount, while Charybdis and Scylla were completed with four twin 4.5 inch dual purpose guns. As a class the ships had an active war, Charybdis, Bonaventure, Hermione and Naiad were all torpedoed and sunk, while Scylla was declared Constructional Total Loss. Argonaut, Cleopatra, Dido, Euryalus, Phoebe and Sirius were scrapped between 1955-59. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Bellona Class (1943) Technical Details:  Displacement:  5,950tons  Dimensions: Length 512 ft, Beam 50 ft 6 ins, Draught: 15 ft Machinery: Geared turbines developing  62,000 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 32 knots, Range 6,800 nautical miles Armour: 3 inch belt, 1 inch bulkheads, 1 inch decks, 2 inch magazines  Armament: 8 x 5.5 inch dual purpose guns, 3 x quadruple 0.5 inch AA mounts, 6 x twin 20 mm AA guns, 2 x triple 21 in torpedo tubes  Complement: 480
History: The Bellonas were originally the final five members of the Dido class, but their construction was halted during the Dunkirk crisis in the spring of 1940. When work recommenced their design was altered to incorporate the lessons learned so far in the war. They were fitted with vertical instead of raked funnels and masts, and a lower bridge structure to reduce topweight. ‘C’ turret was replaced by a third quadruple 2 pounder pom pom and multiple 20 mm weapons were fitted as they became available for better close range defence against aircraft. Spartan was the first to enter service in August 1943, closely followed by Royalist which was fitted out as a flagship for an escort carrier group. Spartan was the only casualty when she was hit by a glider bomb and sunk off Anzio on the 29th January 1944. Postwar the ships were placed in the Reserve Fleet. In 1948 Bellona and Black Prince were loaned to New Zealand, Bellona being returned to the Royal Navy in 1956 and was replaced by Royalist. Black Prince remained in service with the New Zealand Navy until 1962 and Royalist until 1966 when they were placed on the disposal list. Diadem was sold to Pakistan in 1956 and renamed Babur and survived until the early 1980s. After her return to the UK Bellona was scrapped in 1959. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Swiftsure Class (1945) Technical Details:  Displacement: 8,885 tons  Dimensions: Length 555 ft 6 ins, Beam 64 ft, Draught: 17 ft 3 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  72,500 shp, Four shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 31½ knots, Range 9,200 nautical miles Armour: 3½ inch belt, 2 inch bulkheads, 2 inch decks, 1 - 2 inch turrets  Armament: 9 x 6 inch, 10 x 4 inch guns, 4 x quadruple 2 pounder pom poms,  6 x single 40 mm AA guns, 2 x triple 21 in torpedo tubes  Complement: 867
History: The Swiftsure class were modified versions of the Crown Colonies which incorporated the wartime lessons learnt to date. They were fitted with better fire-control, improved aircraft direction systems, a heavier anti-aircraft battery, and a revised bridge design, and similar to the Ceylon group of Crown Colonies, they had only three triple six inch gun housings, a fifth twin 4 inch mounting being added in place of the ‘X’ turret. Eight ships were authorised in 1941, but their construction had a low priority, and only Swiftsure had been commissioned into the Royal Navy by the end of World War Two, with Superb joining her in November 1945. Shortly after completion Minotaur was transferred to Canada In mid 1945 and renamed Ontario. Of the remaining five ships Hawke and Bellorophon were broken up on the slips. Blake, Tiger and Defence had been launched but work was suspended after the war. They were then laid up until 1954 when they were eventually redesigned as guided missile cruisers. In the late 1950s Swiftsure and Superb were to be taken in hand for modernisation along the lines of their half sisters, but the conversion was proving costly and the scheme was abandoned in 1960 and they were scrapped. Ontario survived as a training ship until 1958 and was also scrapped in 1960. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Apollo Class (1891) Technical Details:  Displacement: 3,600 tons.  Dimensions: Length 314 ft. Beam 42 ft 8 ins. Draught: 17 ft 6 ins.  Machinery: Triple Expansion engines developing 9,000 shp,  2 shafts.  Performance: Maximum Speed 20 knots.  Armour: 4½ inch gun shields, 1 - 2 inch decks.  Armament:  2 x 6 inch, 6 x 4.7 inch, 8 x 6 pounder, 1 x 3 pounder guns, 4 x 14 inch torpedo tubes. Complement: 273
History: The Apollo class were built under the 1889 Naval Defence Act, and began to enter service in 1891. They were the largest class of cruisers ever built for the Royal Navy, with twenty one ships being constructed in total. The Apollo’s were an improved version of the earlier Medea class, but came under a lot of criticism over their armament which was regarded too weak. Half the class were sheathed in wood and copper for foreign service, this adding an extra 200 tons to the displacement which resulted in a reduction of speed. As a class they also had a reputation for being poor sea boats and were very wet forward in heavy weather. By 1914 eleven still remained in service and were amongst the oldest active ships in the Royal Navy and at the start of World War One. As a class they saw limited service during the war. Seven being converted to minelayers and based at Dover, although they were soon relegated from this duty when more suitable and faster ships became available. Brilliant, Intrepid, Iphigenia, Sirius and Thetis were expended as blockships during the raids on Zeebrugge and Ostend on the 23rd April 1980. Of the remaining ships Apollo, Andromache, Latona, Naiad and Sappho were sold for breaking up in 1920/22, while Spartan survived until 1931. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Pelorus Class (1897) Technical Details:  Displacement: 2,250 tons. Dimensions: Length 314 ft, Beam 36 ft 6 ins. Draught: 16 ft Machinery: Triple Expansion engines developing 7,000 shp, 2 shafts Performance: Maximum Speed 20 knots Armour: ¼ inch gun shields, 1½ - 2 inch decks.  Armament: 8 x 4 inch,  8 x 3 pounder guns, 2 x 14 inch torpedo tubes Complement: 224
History: The eleven strong Pelorus Class cruisers were ordered in 1893 under the Spencer Program and laid down between 1896-1900. Designed mainly for colonial police work, they entered service with the Royal Navy between 1897 - 1900 and were classified as third class protected cruisers. The ships displaced 2,135 tons and when new had a top speed of 20 knots. They were reasonably armed for their size, having eight quick firing 4 inch guns in single mounts fitted four on each side, eight 3 pounder guns similarly fitted, 3 machine guns, and two 18 inch torpedo tubes but were never expected to serve with the battle fleet. The class was used to compare different boiler types, but for Pandora, Perseus, and Prometheus so many problems were encountered that they were removed from service several years before the others and scrapped in 1913/14. The only ship to be lost during World War One was Pegasus. She had put into Zanzibar harbour to make repairs to her boilers when she was surprised in the early morning of the 20th September 1914 by the German light cruiser Königsberg and sunk while at anchor. Pelorous, Pactolus, Pomone, Proserpine, Psyche and Pyramus had a relatively quiet war after the initial stages and were scrapped in 1920/22, Pioneer was scuttled off Sydney in 1931. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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HMS Adventure (1924) Technical Details:  Displacement: 6,740 tons  Dimensions: Length 500 ft, Beam 59 ft, Draught: 14 ft 6 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  40,000 shp, Diesel engines rated at 9,200 hp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 27½ knots, Range 4,500 nautical miles Armour: None  Armament: 4 x 4.7 inch high angle guns, 4 x 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quadruple machine guns, (later 9 x 20 mm guns added) Complement: 395
History: HMS Adventure was the first vessel built for the Royal Navy specifically as a minelayer. The ship was launched in June 1924, and her design was dictated by a requirement for a large mine capacity and a good cruising range. The mineload was carried internally, four sets of rails running the length of the hull to chutes at the stern. She was originally built with a transom stern, but the dead water caused by such a form meant that mines tended to be sucked back into the hull when they were launched which a potential threat to the ship. As a result she was rebuilt in 1931-32 with a rounded stern that increased her length by 19 ft. Adventure used the same machinery that powered the ‘C’ Class cruisers, but to increase cruising efficiency a diesel-electric plant was trialled, the propellers being driven by either set of machinery. During her World War Two career Adventure was mined twice and involved in a collision, but during her four years as a minelayer undertook around 20 operations, laying minefields throughout the Western Approaches and the North Sea. In November 1943 Adventure was earmarked for the D-Day landings in 1944, and taken in hand and converted for use as a landing craft tender and repair ship. In early 1945 she was placed in reserve and sold for breaking up in 1947. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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Abdiel Class (1941) Technical Details:  Displacement: 3,415 tons  Dimensions: Length 400 ft 6 ins, Beam 40 ft, Draught: 14 ft 9 ins Machinery: Geared turbines developing  72,000 shp, Two shafts Performance: Maximum speed: 40 knots, Range 1,000 nautical miles Armour: None  Armament: 8 x 4 inch dual purpose guns, 1 x 2 quadruple 2 pounder pom poms, 2 x quadruple machine guns, (later 12 x 20 mm guns added) Mineload: 156 Complement: 245
History: The first four ships of the Abdiel class fast minelayer were ordered in 1938, a further two ships being built as part of the War Emergency Programme. They were designed for the rapid laying of minefields in enemy waters, and for this purpose were required to be very fast and have a good anti-aircraft armament to defend themselves if discovered by enemy aircraft. During World War Two they proved to be very successful ships and were the fastest in Royal Navy, their speed sometimes exceeding 40 knots. They were effective ships in their intended role, but their combination of internal space and speed made them valuable fast transport ships. In this role they were effectively used for running supplies, particularly men and matériel, into Tobruk and Malta while they were under siege. Three ships were lost during the war. Latona was bombed off Libya and foundered on the 25th October 1941. Welshman was torpedoed and sunk by U-617 off Crete on the 1st February 1943, and Abdiel was mined and sunk on the 9th September 1943 in Taranto Bay. Apollo, Ariadne and Manxman survived the war and saw post-war service, Apollo serving as a despatch vessel and Manxman as mine warfare support ship. Apollo was scrapped in 1962, Ariadne in 1965, and Manxman in 1972. W a r s h i p s o f t h e Royal Navy
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