County class cruiser
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| Image:HMS Devonshire (County-class cruiser).jpg HMS Devonshire | |
| County-class | Image:RN-White-Ensign.svg |
|---|---|
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | Around 10,000 tons standard (Around 8,400 to 8,600 tons in York class) / 13,300 tons to 13,700 tons (10,500 to 10,700 in York class) |
| Length: | 630 ft (192 m), or 575 ft (175 m) York class |
| Beam: | Kent class 68 ft (20.7 m) York class 58 ft (17.7 m) London and Norfolk classes 66 ft (20.1 m) |
| Draught: | 16.4 ft (5.0 m) |
| Propulsion: | Parsons geared or Brown Curtis steam turbines, 4 shafts, 8 boilers, 80,000 shp (60 MN) |
| Speed: | 32.5 knots (60.2 km/h) |
| Range: | |
| Protection: | sides: 76 mm
|
| Complement: | 657 (628 York-class) |
| Armament: | Original configuration:
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| Aircraft: | 2 walrus (Removed during World War II) |
The County class were the first and last heavy cruisers of the Royal Navy. The ships were large, at 630ft (192m), though they had no side armour when built. The County class were built in four sub-classes, that became known as the Kent, London, Norfolk and York classes. The first three sub-classes were built to the constraints of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.
The design included a requirement for effective air defence, which led to problems in the main battery. Another requirement, for high speed, led to large boiler capacity, high freeboard and 32 knots in a high sea. The vessels had a good cruising range.
Seventeen ships were planned, but the final two were cancelled.
Contents |
Sub-classes
Kent class
There were seven ships of the Kent class built for the Royal Navy (HMS Berwick, Cornwall, Cumberland, Dorsetshire, Kent, Norfolk and Suffolk) and two ships, HMAS Australia and Canberra, built for the Royal Australian Navy. All ships were commissioned in 1928. The Kents were heavily armed, having eight 8-inch (203mm) guns in four twin-turrets. Their secondary armament consisted of four 4-inch (102mm) single guns and also had eight 2-pounder "pom-pom"s for anti-aircraft defence.
The British Kents were reconstructed in the 1930s, with increases in armour and the number of 2-pounder guns increased from eight to sixteen in two octuple mounts. Their eight 21-inch (533mm) torpedo tubes were also removed, except for HMS Kent who retained them. Their secondary armament was increased with the addition of two twin 4-inch (102 mm) guns. One twin 8-inch (203 mm) turret was removed in 1941. Their aircraft hangar, which had been added before the war was removed during World War II.
London class
The second sub-class, the London class, also known as the Devonshire class, consisted of four ships (HMS Devonshire, London, Shropshire and Sussex) and were modified from the Kents. The Londons were virtually identical to the Kents, but differed in that their superstructure was altered slightly and internal bulges were added to give protection from torpedoes. Additionally the number of 2-pounder guns was increased from eight to twelve.
In the 1930s, the Londons underwent similar alterations as the Kents did, having their eight 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes removed, and one twin 8-inch (203 mm) turret removed, although London retained it. One ship, Shropshire, was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1943 to replace Canberra. London was completely rebuilt just before, and during, World War II, giving her the appearance of a Crown Colony-class cruiser.
Norfolk class
The third sub-class, the Norfolk class, also known as the Dorsetshire class consisted of two ships. There would have been four ships but Northumberland and Surrey were cancelled. They were again similar to their predecessors, having only very slight differences, such as carrying the new lighter MkII turret for their 8-inch guns, small differences to the superstructure, and an increase in the number of 2-pounder guns from eight to sixteen. Like the previous two sub-classes, the Norfolks underwent a number of alterations in the 1930s, having their four 4-inch (102 mm) single guns replaced by twin-turrets. Their 2-pounder pom-pom armament was increased to twenty-four barrels during World War II.
York class
The York class consisted of two ships (HMS York and Exeter) of five planned (three were cancelled), built to reduced and cheaper designs. Consequently, they differed significantly from the previous three sub-classes.
They had two fewer 8-inch (203 mm) guns, with six guns in three twin-turrets, only two 2-pounder guns, and increased armour. Their length was considerably shorter, at 575 ft (175 m) and they had two funnels rather than the three in the previous sub-classes, the fore-funnel effectively acting as two. Despite their common design, these two ships had noticeably different profiles, from their funnel and bridge layouts.
The Yorks underwent modifications similar to the three previous sub-classes during the 1930s, having their four single 4-in (102 mm) guns replaced with four 4-inch twin-turrets, and their six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were also removed. During World War II, their 2-pounder guns were given a substantial increase from two to twenty-four. The Yorks had the distinction of being the last warships of the RN to be armed with 8-inch (203 mm) guns.
World War II
The County class saw much service during the Second World War including the first major naval battle, the Battle of the River Plate, where Exeter performed with distinction against the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, suffering heavy damage in the process. HMS Norfolk and Suffolk were equipped with radar which was used to good advantage when they shadowed the Bismarck during the RN's attempts to hunt her down after the sinking of HMS Hood.
The class saw service in nearly every other theatre of the war. A number of losses were suffered by the class, with Canberra, Cornwall, Dorsetshire, Exeter and York all being destroyed.
The survivors were all decommissioned by the 1950s.
| County-class cruiser |
| Royal Navy |
| Kent sub-class: Berwick | Cumberland | Cornwall | Kent | Suffolk |
| London sub-class: Devonshire | London | Shropshire | Sussex |
| Dorsetshire sub-class: Dorsetshire | Norfolk |
| York sub-class: Exeter | York |
| Royal Australian Navy |
| Kent sub-class: Australia | Canberra |
| London sub-class: Shropshire (transferred) |
List of cruiser classes of the Royal Navy List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy |