C-class cruiser: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 00:24, 20 February 2022

Revision as of 00:33, 21 April 2022

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The ''Ceres'' class were ordered in March and April 1916 and commissioned in 1917 and 1918. These ships were very "wet" forward, which was remedied in the subsequent ''Carlisle'' sub-class with the addition of a "trawler bow". Their main armament consisted of five {{convert|6|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns, while their secondary armament consisted of two {{convert|3|in|mm|0|adj=on}} weapons, of which a further one was later added to ''Ceres'' herself. Four 3-pounder guns were also fitted.

Three ships underwent extensive rebuilds during the 1930s, becoming anti-aircraft (AA) cruisers, resulting in all previous armament being removed. The ships were ''Coventry'', ''Curacoa'' and ''Curlew'', with ''Curacoa'' being the last of the three to be rebuilt in 1939; the other two ships having been converted in 1935. ''Coventry'' and ''Curlew'' were given ten [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun]] for their AA role, disposed in single mounts one forward, three on each beam and three aft. Sixteen [[QF 2-pounder naval gun]] Mark VIII as two 8-barelled Mark VI mountings ("multiple pom-poms") were fitted aft (one removed by 1939). Torpedo tubes were removed, and two High-Angle [[HACS]] gun directors and a [[Pom-Pom director]] added. ''Curacoa'' received similar gun directors but a slightly different armament, being equipped with eight [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun]] in twin mountings replacing 6 inch guns number 1,3,4 and 5; and four [[QF 2-pounder naval gun]] Mark VIII as a 4-barelled Mark VII mounting ("multiple pom-pom") replacing 6 inch gun number 2 forward of the bridge.<ref>{{Citecite web|url=https://www.world-war.co.uk/Ceres/ceres_class.php3|title = Ceres Class - Cruiser specifications}}</ref> Later on in the Second World War, four 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikons were added. ''Cardiff'' and ''Ceres'' were to have undergone the same conversion, but this was prevented by the outbreak of war.

=== Ships ===

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* {{HMS|Colombo|D89|2}} was built by Fairfield; she was laid down on 8 December 1917, launched 18 December 1918, and completed in July 1919. She became an AA ship in 1943; she was sold for breaking up on 22 January 1948.

All ships of the class except ''Colombo'' and ''Capetown'' were converted into AA cruisers in 1939, although ''Capetown'' received six 20&nbsp;mm guns and radar. The ships' main armament consisted of eight {{convert|4|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns in four twin turrets with varying numbers of 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikons being added. ''Colombo'' was finally converted to an AA cruiser in 1942, with her armament consisting of eight {{convert|4|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns and six 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikons. All the AA cruiser conversions followed a similar pattern to that of [[HMS Curacoa (D41)]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.world-war.co.uk/Cairo/cairo_class.php3 |title=Cairo Class - Cruiser specifications |publisher=World-war.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref>

== First World War service ==