HMS Sussex (96)
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 HMS Sussex |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Built By: | R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, at Hebburn-on-Tyne |
| Laid down: | 1 February 1927 |
| Launched: | 22 February 1928 |
| Commissioned: | 19 March 1929 |
| End of Service: | 2 February 1949 |
| Decommissioned: | 3 January 1950, Handed over to British Iron and Steel Corporation. |
| Fate: | Scrapped started on 23 February 1950 at Arnott Young, Dalmuir. |
| Penant: | 96 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Type: | Heavy Cruiser |
| Displacement: | 9,750 tons standard/ 13,220 tons full load |
| Dimensions: | 633 by 66 by 17 feet (192.9 by 20.1 by 5.1 meters) |
| Armament: | Original configuration:
|
| Scout Planes: | 1 seaplane (later 3) |
| Armour: | Original configuration:
|
| Propulsion: | Parsons Geared turbines,4 shafts, 8 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 80,000 shp (46 MW)= 32.25 knots maximum speed. |
| Range: | 4,715 km (2,930 miles) at 31 knots,
20,117 km (12,500 miles) at 12 knots, 3,210 tons fuel oil. |
| Complement: | 700 |
HMS Sussex was one of the London sub-class of the County-class heavy cruiser in the Royal Navy. She was laid down by R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Limited, at Hebburn-on-Tyne on 1 February 1927, launched on 22 February 1928 and completed on 19 March 1929.
[edit] History
Sussex served in the Mediterranean until 1934, with the Australia Squadron until 1936, in the Mediterranean again until 1939, operated with Force H in the South Atlantic during the search for the enemy German raider Admiral Graf Spee until December 1939, served with the Home Fleet during the Norwegian campaign, was struck by bombs while in refit at Glasgow on 18 September 1940 and did not return to service until August 1942, served in the Atlantic and with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean, and covered operations in the Netherlands East Indies following the cessation of hostilities.
HMS Sussex was paid off in 1949, handed over to the British Iron and Steel Corporation on 3 January 1950, and arrived at Dalmuir in Scotland on 23 February 1950 where she was broken up by W. H. Arnott, Young and Company, Limited.
[edit] Notable events involving Sussex
September, 1939:
Sussex and her sistership HMS Shropshire formed Group "H" in the South Atlantic in the hunt for the Graf Spee.
The German passenger ship Watussi (9552 BRT) is intercepted in the South Atlantic off Capetown, South Africa by the British battlecruiser HMS Renown and Sussex. However, before the German ship can be captured she is scuttled by her own crew.
Following the scuttling of the Graf Spee in December 1939, she returned to the UK, took part in the Norwegian Campaign then went to Glasgow for a refit.
Intercepted the German supply ship Hohenfriedberg, 7892 tgr, west of the Azores. The ship scuttled when challenged and at the same time Sussex was narrowly missed by a spread of torpedoes from U-264 which was accompanying the supply ship.
Transferred to the British Eastern Fleet until the end of the war, covered the reoccupation of the Netherlands East Indies before returning home.
Her Task Force was attacked by 2 Aichi D3A "Val" dive-bombers acting as "Kamikaze" suicide weapons: one was shot down by escort carrier Ameer and the second by Sussex. However, this latter one bounced on the surface of the sea and impacted the cruiser's hull above the waterline, causing a 2½ metre dent. Later in the same day Sussex downed another aircraft.
| 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 |
