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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY - UNITED KINGDOM

CRUISERS

KENT heavy cruisers

Canberra 1940

       Kent 1944

 

Displacement standard, t	9750 - 9870 (about 10900 finally)
Displacement full, t	13400 - 13540 (14490 - 14910 finally)
Length, m	179.8 pp 192.0 - 192.9 oa
Breadth, m	20.8
Draught, m	6.25 deep load (6.71 - 6.88 finally)
No of shafts	4
Machinery	Parsons geared steam turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers Berwick, Australia, Canberra: Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	80000
Max speed, kn	31.5
Fuel, t	oil 3200 - 3400
Endurance, nm(kts)	13300(12)
Armour, mm	box protection to magazines: 111 - 25, belt: 25, bulkheads: 25, barbettes: 25, turrets: 25, deck: 38 - 25
Armament	4 x 2 - 203/50 Mk VIII, 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 4 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 4 - 533 TT
Complement	685 - 710

Ship project history: First British cruisers designed according to limitations established for cruisers by Washington conference (10 000t standard displacement, no more han 203mm main guns). In comparison with the similar ships of other navies they were not so fast and protected however possessed the big endurance and good seaworthiness. They were intended, first of all, for protection of sea communications and hunting for raiders, instead of for operations with main forces. Five ships were built by 1925 program. Two more ships were ordered by Australia.

Hull form in the cross-section plan resembled one accepted on last battlecruisers of Royal Navy (Courageous and Hood): above a waterline it was trapezoidal, transferred in blisters below. Ships had original box-shaped armour protection concentrated round the vital places. Main guns had maximal elevation angle 70 °.

In 1934 the design of modernization of class has been made. According to it it was supposed to equip them with narrow armoured belt on waterline.

Protection: Underwater protection (bulges) was 1.6m in deep on British and 0.76m on Australian ships. Magazines were protected by 111 (102mm armour on 9mm plating)-25mm sides and 76-25mm platform deck. Machinery was protected by 25mm bulkheads and 32mm deck. Steering gear has 38-25mm horizontal protection.

Modernizations: 1931 - 1932, British ships: + 1 catapult S-II-L, 1 Flycatcher (later Osprey) seaplane

1933, Kent: + 2 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA

1934, all: + 2 x 4 - 12.7/62

1935, Australia: + 1 catapult S-II-L, 1 Osprey seaplane

7/1936, Cumberland: new 114mm belt 1.8m in height abreast machinery and transmitting station was fitted. 102mm internal plating was added to the sides of boiler room fan compartments. One deck was cut down abaft "Y" turret. New catapult D-II-H and 2 hangars for Walrus seaplanes were fitted; - 2 x 1 - 102/45, 4 x 1 - 40/39, 2 x 4 - 533 TT; + 2 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVII, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, (2 seaplanes instead of 1)

1937, Suffolk: new 114mm belt 1.8m in height abreast machinery and transmitting station was fitted. 102mm internal plating was added to the sides of boiler room fan compartments. One deck was cut down abaft "Y" turret. New catapult D-II-H and 2 hangars for Walrus seaplanes were fitted; - 4 x 1 - 102/45, 4 x 1 - 40/39, 2 x 4 - 533 TT; + 3 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVII, 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, (2 seaplanes instead of 1)

1937 - 1939, Berwick, Cornwall: new 114mm belt 1.8m in height abreast machinery and transmitting station was fitted. 102mm internal plating was added to the sides of boiler room fan compartments. New catapult D-II-H and 2 hangars for Walrus seaplanes were fitted; - 4 x 1 - 102/45, 4 x 1 - 40/39, 2 x 4 - 533 TT; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 8 - 40/39 pompom, (2 seaplanes instead of 1)

1938, Kent: new 114mm belt 1.8m in height abreast machinery and transmitting station was fitted. 102mm internal plating was added to the sides of boiler room fan compartments. New catapult E-IV-H for Walrus seaplane was fitted. - 6 x 1 - 102/45, 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 8 - 40/39 pompom

1935 - 1939, Australia: new 114mm belt 1.8m in height abreast machinery and transmitting station was fitted. 102mm internal plating was added to the sides of boiler room fan compartments. New catapult E-IV-H for Walrus seaplane was fitted; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom

1938, Cumberland: - 2 x 2 - 102/45, 2 x 1 - 102/45; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI

1939, all: - 4 x 1 - 47/40

12/1940, Australia: - 4 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 4 - 533 TT; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, type 286 radar

early 1941, Canberra: + 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, radar

2/1941, Suffolk: - 3 x 2 - 102/45; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 279, 285 radars

6/1941, Berwick: + type 281, 284 radars

9/1941, Kent: + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 281, 284, 285 radars

10/1941, Berwick: + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

10/1941, Cumberland: + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273, 281, 285 radars

6/1942, Suffolk: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 279 radar; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273, 281 radars

6/1942, Canberra: - 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 2 x 8 - 4/39 pompom, 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

8/1942, Berwick: - catapult and seaplanes, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273 radar

10/1942, Australia: - 1 x 4 - 40/39; + 2 x 8 - 40/39 pompom

11/1942, Kent: - catapult and seaplanes, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

2/1943, Cumberland: - 1 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 5 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

2/1943, Suffolk: - catapult and seaplanes, 2 x 4 - 40/39, 5 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 8 - 40/39 pompom, 5 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

9/1943, Kent: - 6 x 1 - 20/70; + 3 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

10/1943, Berwick: - 2 x 8 - 40/39, 7 x 1 - 20/70, type 281 radar; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 7 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type281B radar

late 1943, Australia: - 4 x 1 - 40/39, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 286 radar; + 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273, 281 radars

3/1944, Australia: - catapult and seaplanes, 7 x 1 - 20/70; + 7 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

4/1944, Suffolk: + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

2/1945, Australia: - 1 x 2 - 203/50; + 2 x 8 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, type 284, 285 radars

late 1945, Cumberland: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

late 1945, Australia: - 7 x 2 - 20/70

Naval service: Suffolk was damaged by direct hit of 1000kg bomb 17/4/1940 and repaired 10 months. Kent 17/9/1940 was damaged by air torpedo and repaired one year. Cornwall was sunk by the Japanese carrier aircraft (D3A1 divng bombers from Akagi, Hiryu and Soryu) S of Ceylon 5/4/1942 (9 direct bomb hits). Canberra was demolished by gunfire of Japanese cruisers Chokai, Aoba, Kako, Furutaka and Kinugasa in battle off Savo 9/8/1942 and sunk in 7 hours.

    In 1949 - 1951 Cumberland was converted to test ship. New lattice foremast and new sensors were fitted. Ship was rearmed and carried various armament for test. one (later 2) single 114/45mm , twin 40/60mm Bofors STAAG were mounted in various times. The ship had 1 twin 76/70mm Mk6 mounting from 1953 and additionally 1 twin 152/50mm automatic Mk26 later.

       Canberra 1928

       Cumberland 1958

 

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© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09