HMS York (90)

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Career

Ordered:	21 October 1926
Laid down:	16 May 1927
Launched:	17 July 1928
Commissioned:	1 May 1930
Fate:	blown up 22 May 1941, arrived Bari for breaking up March 3, 1952
General Characteristics
Displacement:	Standard: 8,250 tons Full: 10,350 tons
Length:	p/p:540 ft (164.6 m) o/a: 575 ft (175.25 m)
Beam:	57 ft (17.58 m)
Draught:	17 ft (6.17 m)
Propulsion:	8 Admiralty 3-drum water-tube boilers, Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 shafts, 80,000 shp
Speed:	32¼ kts (30½ kts full load)
Range:	1,900 tons oil fuel, 10,000 nm at 14 kts
Complement:	623
Armament:	6 x BL 8 inch (203 mm) L/50 Mark VIII, twin mounts Mk.II 4 x QF 4 inch (102 mm) L/45 Mk.V, single mounts HA Mk.III 8 x 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) L/50 Mk.III Vickers machine guns, quad mounts Mk.I 2 x triple tubes for 21 inch (533 mm) torpedos
Aircraft:	plan to fit catapult and floatplane on 'B' turret never completed rotating catapult and Fairey Seafox amidships
Armour:	Main belt 3 in 2½-1 in enclosing bulkheads Lower deck 1¼ in over machinery 1½ in over stearing gear Magazine box citadels 4-1 in Transmitting Station 1 in Turrets 1 in face, rear, crown 2½in base 1 in barbette 2 in hoist

The ninth HMS York, pennant number 90, was a York class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow, on 18 May 1927 launched on 17 July 1928 and completed on 1 May 1930. She was the lead ship for the planned 5 ships of her class, built to a modified design based on the earlier County classes intended to be built cheaper than the predecessors. She could be instantly recognised form her sister, Exeter, as the latter had straight masts and funnels, those of York being raked. In addition, York had a more traditional bridge design similar to the Counties, that of Exeter was a modern design, later seen in the Leander and Arethusa classes.

[edit] Service

York served with the 8th Cruiser Squadron on the America and West Indies Station, in the Mediterranean in 1935 and 1936, on the America Station until October 1939, with Force F at Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. Early in World War II found her with the 3rd Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean from 1940. At the end of the Norwegian campaign she was used to evacuate British and French troops from Namsos alongside HMS Devonshire, the French cruiser Montcalm and 3 French transports. She went to the Mediterranean and joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron on convoy duties. York was badly damaged at Suda Bay in Crete by two Italian barchini, small motor assault boats (or MTMs) of the Italian MAS, launched by enemy destroyers Crispi and Sella on 26 March 1941. Further damage by air attack caused her to be abandoned completely, beached in shallow water and wrecked by demolition charges on 22 May 1941. She was towed to Bari and broken up in 1952.