Town class cruiser (1936)

The Town-class were a ten-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930.The ships were built in three distinct sub-classes, the "Southampton", "Gloucester" and "Edinburgh" classes respectively, each sub-class adding on further weaponry.

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 "light cruiser" as one having a main armament no greater than 6.1 inches (155 mm) calibre, all three major naval powers sought to circumvent the limitations on heavy cruiser numbers by building "light cruisers" that were equal in size and effective power to heavy cruisers. These ships made up for their smaller calibre guns by carrying larger numbers of them.

"Southampton" class

The "Southampton" class was the first and the subsequent two sub-classes were also known as modified or improved "Southampton"s. They had originally been built in response to the powerful US "Brooklyn" class and Japanese "Mogami" class light-cruisers.

"Gloucester" class

The subsequent "Gloucester"s had a redesigned deck and received thicker armour on the gun turrets.

"Edinburgh" class

The "Edinburgh" class were longer at 614 ft compared to 592 ft (187 to 180 m), initially to allow an increase in the main armament from twelve 6 inch (152 mm) guns in four triple turrets as in the two previous sub-classes, to sixteen 6 inch guns in four quadruple turrets. The idea was soon shelved however, due to the difficulties in actually manufacturing an effective quadruple 6 inch turret, and so the class reverted to the original main armament design, although improved. Four extra 4 inch (102 mm) "High Angle Low Angle" guns and eight extra 2 pounder (40 mm) guns and further armour protection were added instead.

Later improvements

All were heavily modified during WWII and after the Korean War, HMS "Glasgow", "Sheffield" and "Newcastle" had one aft turret replaced by two quad 40 mm Bofors guns during WWII, since there was insufficient space to fit the needed extra anti-aircraft guns and retain the turret. This was not a problem in the "Edinburgh"s, because they were longer and had more room. They still had substantial modifications to their weaponry, including addition of 40 mm Bofors guns. The addition of Radar equipment during WWII, aided the ships' combat effectiveness.

ervice

The first Town-class ship were launched in 1936 and commissioned in 1937, just two years before the outbreak of war. The Town-class saw much service during the Second World War and took in many famous actions, such as the sinking of the "Scharnhorst". Four of the Town-class were sunk during the war: 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 of the Imperial War Museum, a role she has performed since 1971.

See also

Crown Colony class cruiser

References

*Colledge