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ROYAL NAVY - UNITED KINGDOM

CRUISERS

LONDON heavy cruisers (1929)

       Devonshire 1944

       London 1942

 

Displacement standard, t	9830 - 9850 (10575 - 11015 finally)
Displacement full, t	13315 (14280 - 14580 finally)
Length, m	181.4 pp 192.0 - 192.9 oa
Breadth, m	20.1
Draught, m	6.32 deep load (6.78 - 6.91 finally)
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	80000
Max speed, kn	32.3
Fuel, t	oil 3210 (later 3000 - 3043)
Endurance, nm(kts)	12500(12)
Armour, mm	box protection to magazines: 102 - 25, belt: 25, barbettes: 25, turrets: 25, deck: 38 - 25
Armament	4 x 2 - 203/50 BL Mk VIII, 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, 4 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk II, 2 x 4 - 533 TT
Complement	700

Project history: Ships of the class were designed under 1925 Programme and repeated Kent class but had more traditional hull form (without bulges) and a fwd superstructure moved aft by 7.5 m for improvement of horizontal aiming arcs of "B" turret.

London in 1939-1941 passed the major modernization. She received narrow armored belt abreast machinery. Fwd superstructure was completely rebuilt, becoming similar on standing on King George V class battleships. Boiler uptakes were deduced into 2 funnels. The longitudinal catapult and large hangar are fitted.

Protection: 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 had 38 - 25mm horizontal protection.

Modernizations: 1931 - 1932, all: + 1 catapult E-II-H, 1 Fairey IIIF seaplane (replaced by Osprey 1934 and Walrus 1937)

1934, Shropshire: + 1 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII

1935, Shropshire: - 1 x 4 - 40/39

1936 - 1937, Devonshire, Shropshire, Sussex: - 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62

1937, London: - 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V

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

mid-1940, Sussex: + 2 x 20 - 178 UP AA rockets projectors

(Chatham DYd, 3.1939 - 4.1941), London: New 89mm belt 2.4m in height protected machinery spaces. Superstructures were reconstructed, ship had from now only two funnels. - 8 x 1 - 102/45, catapult E-II-H; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 1 catapult D-I-H with 2 Walrus seaplanes, type 279, type 284, type 285 radars. Displacement rose to 11015/14578t.

5/1941, Devonshire: + 2 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, type 281, type 285 radars

6/1941, Shropshire: + 2 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII

9/1941, Devonshire: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1/1942, London: - 4 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

2/1942, Devonshire: + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273 radar

2/1942, Shropshire: - 8 x 1 - 102/45; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273, type 281, type 282, type 285 radars

8/1942, Sussex: - 8 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 20 - 178 UP; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 10 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273, type 281, type 282, type 285 radars

late 1942, Devonshire: - 8 x 1 - 102/45; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI

late 1942, Shropshire: + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

5/1943, London: - catapult with seaplanes; + 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273, type 282 radars

mid-1943, Devonshire: - 6 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 281 radar; + 2 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 12 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281B radar

6/1943, Shropshire: - 4 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, catapult with seaplanes; + 7 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

12/1943, Sussex: - catapult and seaplanes; + 11 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

2/1944, London: - 3 x 1 - 20/70; + 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

3/1944, Devonshire: - 1 x 2 - 203/50 ("X"), 1 x 2 - 20/70, catapult with seaplanes; + 2 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 282, type 283 radars

3/1945, Sussex: - 1 x 2 - 203/50 ("X"), 15 x 1 - 20/70, type 281 radar; + 4 x 8 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281B, type 283, type 293 radars

6/1945, London: - 8 x 1 - 20/70, type 273 radar; + 4 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 277, type 283 radars

mid-1945, Shropshire: - 7 x 2 - 20/70, 6 x 1 - 20/70, type 273 radar; + 7 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III, type 277, type 293 radars

late 1945, London: - 8 x 2 - 20/70, 4 x 1 -20/70

1.1946, Devonshire: 3 x 2 - 203/50 Mk I, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 6 x 8 - 40/39 Mk VIA, 11 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 10 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, type 273, type 281B, type 282, type 283, type 285 radars

1.1946, London: 4 x 2 - 203/50 Mk I, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 2 x 8 - 40/39 Mk VIA, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, type 277, type 279, type 282, type 283, type 284, type 285 radars

1.1946, Sussex: 3 x 2 - 203/50 Mk I, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 6 x 8 - 40/39 Mk VIA, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 4 - 533 TT, type 273, type 281B, type 282, type 283, type 285, type 293 radars

4/1947, Devonshire as TS: New armament consisted of 1 x 2 - 203/50 Mk I ("B" position), 2 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Mk I, 1 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 1 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 3 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III. Only 4 boilers were operable, maximal speed felt to 21kts. New classification was "Oceangoing training cruiser".

Naval service: Sussex  was sunk 18.9.1940 in dock of Clyde after 250kg bomb hit; she was salvaged and repaired for 21 month (recommissioned in June 1942). Devonshire served as TS 1947 - 1953.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Sussex 1929

London 1949

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15