HMS Suffolk (55)

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Career
HMS Suffolk in 1942.
Built By:	Portsmouth Dockyard (Portsmouth, UK)
Laid down:	30 September 1924
Launched:	16 February 1926
Commissioned:	31 May 1928
Decommissioned:	25 March 1948
Fate:	Scrapped, she was allocated to BISCO on 25 March 1948 and was scrapped at J Cashmore's (Newport, USA) where she arrived 24 June 1948.
Penant:	55
General Characteristics
Type:	Heavy Cruiser
Displacement:	9,750 tons standard; 13,450 tons full load.
Length:	630 ft (192 m)
Beam:	68.25 ft (20.8 m)
Draught:	16.25 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion:	4 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 80,000 shp.
Speed:	31.5 knots
Range:	4 989 km (3,100 miles) at 31.5 knots, 21 404 km (13,300 miles) at 12 knots ; 3,400 tons fuel oil
Complement:	700
Armament:	Original configuration: 8 x 8 in (203 mm) single guns, 4 x 4 in (102 mm) single AA guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns. 2 x 21 in (533 mm) quad Torpedo Tubes. 1937 - 1941 configuration: 8 x 8 in (203 mm) dual guns, 6 x 4 in (102 mm) single AA guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) eight barrel quad guns, 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns. 2 x 21 in (533 mm) quad Torpedo Tubes. 1941 - 1942 configuration: 8 x 8 in (203 mm) dual guns, 6 x 4 in (102 mm) single AA guns, 2 x 4 in (102 mm) dual AA guns, 4 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) eight barrel quad guns, 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns. 2 x 21 in (533 mm) quad Torpedo Tubes. 1942 - 1944 configuration: 8 x 8 in (203 mm) dual guns, 6 x 4 in (102 mm) single AA guns, 2 x 4 in (102 mm) dual AA guns, 6 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns, 5 x 20 mm (0.8 in) dual power-operated guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) eight barrel quad guns, 2 x 21 in (533 mm) quad Torpedo Tubes.
Armour:	Original configuration: 1 to 4 in magazine box protection, 1.375 in deck, 1 in side-plating,turrets and bulkheads, 4.5 in belt, 4 internal boiler room sides (added 1936-1940).
Aircraft:	Original configuration: 3 aircraft with 1 catapult, removed in 1943.

HMS Suffolk (55) was the Kent class cruiser for the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard (Chatham, UK), with the keel being laid down on the 15 November 1924. She was launched on the 16 March 1926, and commissioned 25 June 1928.

[edit] History

Suffolk, like her sisters, served on the China Station, save for reconstruction, until the outbreak of World War II. She came home in 1939 and then patrolled the Denmark Straits in October 1939. In April 1940 she participated in the Norwegian Campaign. On 13 April 1940 she arrived at Tórshavn to commence the British pre-emptive occupation of the Faroe Islands. On 14 April 1940 Suffolk sank the German tanker Skagerak (6044 tons) northwest of Bodø, Norway in position 64.05N, 08.00E.

On 17 April 1940 Suffolk bombarded a German station for sea planes at Stavanger, destroying four aircraft and badly damaging the installations, but was in return badly damaged by bombs from German Ju88 aircraft of II./KG 30. X-turret's magazine had been destroyed. The ship was very lucky to survive this ordeal and she barely reached Scapa Flow with her stern awash the next morning. She was beached at Scapa Flow to prevent her sinking. Suffolk was out of action from April 1940 until February 1941 where she was repaired at Clyde

During May 1941 Suffolk was involved in the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. Suffolk had engaged the battleship twice during the battle making several salvoes on her. Bismarck finally sank on 27 May 1941.

After her repairs Suffolk served with the Home Fleet in Arctic waters until the end of 1942, then underwent a refit between December 1942 and April 1943. On completion of this the ship was ordered to the Eastern Fleet, operating in the Indian Ocean until the end of the war.

Suffolk was allocated to Bisco on 25 March 1948 and was scrapped at J Cashmore's (Newport, Wales) where she arrived on 24 June 1948.

See HMS Suffolk for other ships of the name.

County-class cruiser

Royal Navy

Kent class - Berwick | Cumberland | Cornwall | Kent | Suffolk

London class - Devonshire | London | Shropshire | Sussex

Dorsetshire class - Dorsetshire | Norfolk

Royal Australian Navy

Kent class - Australia | Canberra

London class - Shropshire (transferred)

List of cruiser classes of the Royal Navy
List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy

County class cruisers
Kent sub class