Town class cruiser (1936)
|
|
| Missing image Hms_belfast.jpg HMS Belfast HMS Belfast | |
| Town-class | 
|
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 11,540 tons (Southampton-class), 11,930 tons (Gloucester-class), 13,175 tons (Edinburgh-class) |
| Length: | 591.6 ft (180 m) Southampton and Gloucester classes, 613.6 ft (187 m) Edinburgh-class |
| Beam: | 62.3 ft (19.0 m) Southampton-class, 64.9 ft (19.8 m) Gloucester and Edinburgh classes |
| Draught: | 20 ft (6.1 m) Southampton-class, 20.6 ft (6.3 m) Gloucester-class, 22.6 ft (6.9 m) Edinburgh-class |
| Propulsion: | Steam turbines, 4 shafts, 4 boilers 75,000 hp (56 MW) Southampton-class, 82,500 hp (62 MW) Gloucester and Edinburgh classes |
| Speed: | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Range: | |
| Complement: | 750 |
| Armament: | Original Configuration:
12 x 6 in (152 mm) guns in triple turrets (one aft turret removed Glasgow, Newcastle and Sheffield) 8 x 4 in (102 mm) guns (12 x 4 in (102 mm) guns in Edinburgh-class) 8 x 40.5 mm guns (16 x 40.5 mm guns in Edinburgh-class) 8 x 0.5 in (~12.7 mm) machine-guns 6 x 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes |
| Aircraft: | Two Supermarine Walrus aircraft (Removed in the latter part of WWII) |
The Town-class were a ten-ship class of light cruisers built in three distinct sub-classes, Southampton, Gloucester and Edinburgh classes respectively, each sub-class adding on further weaponry. The Town's were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930.
Like their US and Japanese counterparts of that era, the Town-class cruisers were "light cruisers" in name only. As the London Treaty defined a "heavy cruiser" as having a main armament of 6.1 inches (155 mm) calibre guns, all three major naval powers sought to circumvent the limitations on heavy cruiser numbers by building "light cruisers" that were in fact equal in size and power to heavy cruisers. These ships made up for their smaller calibre guns by carrying larger numbers of them.
The Southampton-class became the template for the subsequent two sub-classes and had been originally built in response to the powerful US Brooklyn-class and Japanese Mogami-class light-cruisers. The subsequent Gloucester-class had its deck redesigned and thicker armour applied to its gun turrets.
The Edinburgh-class had its size increased from 591.6 to 613.6 ft (180 to 187 m), initially to allow the armament to increase, from twelve 6 in (152 mm) guns in four triple turrets in the two previous sub-classes, to sixteen 6 in (152 mm) guns in four quadruple turrets. The idea was soon shelved however, due to the difficulties in actually manufacturing an effective quadruple 6 in (152 mm) turret, and so the class reverted to the original main armament design, though improved for the new sub-class. Four extra 4 in (102 mm) guns and eight extra 2 pounder (37/40 mm) guns, as-well as further armour protection were added instead.
All were heavily modified during WWII and after the Korean War, indeed Glasgow, Sheffield and Newcastle had one aft turret replaced by two quad 40mm Bofors guns during WWII, due to little space available to retain the turret, though this problem would not arise in the larger Edinburgh-class, which also had substantial modifications to its weaponry, including the 40 mm Bofors. Radar equipment was also added during WWII.
The first ships of the Town-class were launched in 1936 and commissioned in 1937, just two years before WWII began. The Town-class saw much service during the Second World War and took in many famous actions, such as the sinking of the Scharnhorst. Sadly, a number of the Town-class were sunk during that war. These were HM ships Edinburgh, Gloucester, Manchester, and Southampton. Many of the surviving ships saw successful service during the Korean War. The last Town-class ship to decommission was HMS Sheffield in 1967. One Town-class warship remains, HMS Belfast, moored on the River Thames in London as a museum-ship, a role she has performed since 1971.
| Town-class cruiser |
| Belfast | Birmingham | Edinburgh | Glasgow | Gloucester | Liverpool | Manchester | Newcastle | Sheffield | Southampton |
| List of cruisers of the Royal Navy |