Town class cruiser (1936)

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Town-class
HMS Belfast
General characteristics
Displacement:	Southampton class 11,540 tons, Gloucester class 11,930 tons Edinburgh-class 13,175 tons.
Length:	Southampton and Gloucester classes 591.6 ft (180 m) Edinburgh-class 613.6 ft (187 m)
Beam:	Southampton-class 62.3 ft (19.0 m) Gloucester and Edinburgh classes 64.9 ft (19.8 m)
Draught:	Southampton-class 20 ft (6.1 m) Gloucester-class 20.6 ft (6.3 m) Edinburgh-class 22.6 ft (6.9 m)
Propulsion:	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 Parsons steam turbines, 4 shafts, Southampton-class 75,000 shp (56 MW) Gloucester and Edinburgh classes 82,500 shp (62 MW)
Speed:	32 knots (59 km/h)
Range:
Complement:	750
Armament:	Southampton and Gloucester class as designed 12 x BL 6 in (152 mm) Mark XXIII guns in triple mountings Mark XXI 8 x QF 4 in (102 mm) Mark XVI guns in twin mountings Mark XIX 8 x QF 2 pdr (40 mm) pom-pom Mark VIII in quad mountings Mark VII 8 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Vickers machine guns 2 x triple 21 in (533 mm) tubes for torpedoes Mark IX Edinburgh class as designed 12 x BL 6 in (152 mm) Mark XXIII guns in triple mountings Mark XXII 12 x QF 4 in (102 mm) Mark XVI guns in twin mountings Mark XIX 16 x QF 2 pdr (40 mm) pom-pom Mark VIII in octuple mountings Mark VI 8 × 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Vickers machine guns 2 x triple 21 in (533 mm) tubes for torpedoes Mark IX
Aircraft:	Two Supermarine Walrus aircraft (Removed in the latter part of WWII)

The Town-class were a ten-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Town's 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.

1 Southampton class
2 Gloucester class
3 Edinburgh class
4 Later improvements
5 Service

[edit] Southampton class

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

[edit] Gloucester class

The subsequent Gloucesters had a redesigned deck and received thicker armour on the gun turrets.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 Edinburghs, being longer they had more room. They still had substantial modifications to their weaponry, including addition of 40 mm Bofors guns. Radar equipment was also added during WWII.

[edit] Service

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.