Gambia 1944
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Gambia | 48 - C48 | Swan Hunter, Wallsend, UK | 24.7.1939 | 30.11.1940 | 21.2.1942 // 2.1944 | to UK 3.1946 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
8530 |
|
Displacement full, t |
10830 - 11090 |
|
Length, m |
164.0 pp 169.3 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
18.9 |
|
Draught, m |
6.20 - 6.32 |
|
No of shafts |
4 |
|
Machinery |
4 sets Parsons steam geared turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
72500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
31.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 1613 - 1700 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 10100(12) |
| Armour, mm |
belt: 89 - 83, bulkheads: 51 - 38, turrets: 51 - 25, barbettes: up to 25, deck: 51 - 32 |
|
Armament |
4 x 3 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 10 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk IV, 2 x 3 - 533 TT |
|
Electronic equipment |
2x type 272, type 281, type 283, type 284, type 285 radars |
|
Complement |
920 war |
Project history: Occurrence of Colony class became one of consequences of London conference in 1936 limited displacement of newly designed cruisers by 8000t. Design of Southampton class was revised under these requirements and result was more compact Fiji in which length of hull was more than to 10m shortened at the expense of cramped arrangement. Usage of less power machinery and easier armouring have allowed to store the same armament as at a prototype, and a transom stern has given the chance to avoid strong fall of speed (on 0.5kts). Waterline belt became a little thin but at the expense of a smaller length of the hull reached end barbettes, and thickness of an armour deck even has increased. Return to more simple vertical stacks and masts became characteristic kind of these ships.
Low metacentric height was main lack of design and it has created serious problems at wartime updates: it was necessary to land one of main turrets for placing of numerous AA guns and the electronic equipment on most of class in the end of war .
The last 3 ships of Fiji class (2nd group) were completed under some changed design considering experience of the first year of war: with the strengthened antiaircraft arms. Because of already mentioned very cramped arrangement one main turret had landed and catapult was removed (hangars have been left, but were used for other purposes).
Protection: Armoured belt extended from "A" to "Y" barbettes and to upper deck abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck abreast aft engine room, CCC and magazines. Its thickness was 89 mm abreast magazines and 83 mm abreast machinery. Belt was closed by 51 - 38-mm bulkheads. Armoured deck was 51-mm thick (32-mm with 38-mm slopes over steering gear). Transom stern was 38-mm thick.
Modernizations: None.
Naval service: No significant events.
© Ivan Gogin, 2015