Crown Colony class cruiser
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 HMS Jamaica | |
| Crown Colony class | 
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|---|---|
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 10,725t full load (Ceylon class 10,840t full load) |
| Dimensions: | 555.5ft x 62ft x 16.5ft (169m x 18.9m x 5.0m) |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft: | 2 Supermarine Walrus aircraft (later removed) |
| Propulsion: | 4 Parsons geared turbines, 4 boilers, 4 shafts, 72,500 shp (54 MW), 80,000 (60 MW) Ceylon class = 32kts (59km/h) |
| Range: | 10,100nm (18,700km) at 12kts (22km/h) |
| Complement: | 730 |
The Crown Colony-class light cruisers of the Royal Navy were named after Crown Colonies of the British Empire. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were modified slightly.
They were built due to the limitations that the Washington Treaty imposed on cruisers, that they should not exceed 10,000 tons, and were basically smaller derivatives of the Town-class cruiser, though only slightly. They had reduced armour, owing to their size, though in most respects were identical to the Southamptons, the first of the Town subclasses. Due to the size of the Crown Colony class, a number of the ships had to have one of their main turrets removed to allow 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns to be added.
They served with distinction during World War II, losing Fiji in 1941, and Trinidad the following year. They continued in service after the war, taking part in further actions, such as the Korean War. Ceylon was later sold to Peru, being renamed Coronel Bolognesi, along with Newfoundland, which was renamed Almirante Grau. The ship was decommissioned in 1982. Nigeria was also sold, to India, being renamed INS Mysore. The ship was scrapped in 1985, an astonishingly long time since her launch in the late 1930s.
All ships of the Crown Colony-class were decommissioned from the Royal Navy by the late 1960s, though none of them were the last cruisers of the Royal Navy. That honour went to Blake, a modified Tiger-class cruiser, which was decommissioned in 1979, seemingly the last ever cruiser to be in the Royal Navy.
Ships of the class
- Bermuda - Took part in Operation Torch, the landings in North Africa, during WWII, as well as other operations. After the war, the ship continued in service, seeing much of the world, and receiving a number of refits which helped her last until her decommissioning in 1962. She was scrapped in 1965.
- Ceylon - Was deployed to the Far East for much of World War II, taking part in a number of actions there. She took part in the Korean War, being involved heavily during that war. She was decommissioned in 1960, and subsequently sold to Peru, being renamed Coronel Bolognesi. She was decommissioned in 1982.
- Fiji - In 1940, Fiji was torpedoed by a German U-boat, though fortunately the ship survived this brush with Germany's submarines. In 1941, during the Battle of Crete, Fiji was hit by a bomb from a German Me 109 aircraft, after having survived 20 bomb hits, this one caused her to list heavily, though three furth bombs proved fatal for the cruiser. Sadly, 244 of her crew were lost.
- Gambia - Was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy from 1943, seeing active service in the British Pacific Fleet. She was returned to the Royal Navy in 1946. The ship was scrapped in 1968.
- Jamaica - Served in WWII, taking part in a number of operations during that war. In the Korean War, Jamaica was known as 'The Galloping Ghost of the Korean Coast', due to the North Koreans claiming that she had been sunk three times. She was scrapped in 1960.
- Kenya - Was heavily involved in both WWII, being deployed to the Far East for some time. Kenya was also involved in the Korean War. She was scrapped in 1962.
- Mauritius - She was involved in the Normandy Landings, and other actions during WWII. She was scrapped in 1965.
- Newfoundland - She was torpedoed by Italian submarine Ascianghi, receiving temporary repairs at Malta, and full repairs at Boston Navy Yard. In 1944, the ship suffered an explosion at Alexandria while docked there. She sustaining heavy damage, sadly also suffering a number of casualties. She was in the Far East from 1945, supporting a number of operations there. Sank the Egyptian frigate Domiat, during Suez operations, after the latter ship fired on her. Sold to Peru in 1959, being renamed Almirante Grau and then Capitan Quinones in 1973. She was decommissioned in 1979. She was ironically broken up in Japan, the country that she and her crew fought against in WWII.
- Nigeria - Was involved in Operation Pedestal (when she was damaged by Italian submarine Axum), the largest attempt to assist the besieged island of Malta in 1942, as well as a number of other deployments. She was sold to India in 1958, being renamed INS Mysore. She was scrapped in 1985.
- Trinidad - She was involved in an astonishing incident in 1942. While engaged three German destroyers, she was hit by her own torpedo, though she did destroy one of the German warships. The same year, Trinidad was hit by Ju-88 bombers, damaging her to an extent that her crew were forced to scuttle her in the Barents Sea the following day.
- Uganda - Escorted to Washington the RMS Queen Mary with Winston Churchill embarked. Covered the invasion of Sicily in 1943. She was then hit by a German glide bomb that same year, causing significant damage and killing sixteen of her crew and wounding seven. Following repairs carried out in 1944 in the USA she was recommissioned in the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Uganda. She joined the British Pacific Fleet in 1945 taking part in a number of actions in the Far East. She was put in reserve in 1947 but recommissioned as HMCS Quebec for service in the Korean War. The ship was scrapped in 1961.
| Crown Colony-class cruiser |
| Royal Navy |
| Bermuda | Ceylon | Fiji | Gambia | Jamaica | Kenya | Mauritius | Newfoundland | Nigeria | Trinidad | Uganda |
| Royal Canadian Navy |
| Quebec (ex-Uganda) |
| Indian Navy |
| Mysore (ex-Nigeria) |
| Peruvian Navy |
| Coronel Bolognesi (ex-Ceylon) | Almirante Grau (ex-Newfoundland) |
| List of cruisers of the Royal Navy |