C-class cruiser: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|1914 light cruiser class of the British Royal Navy}}

{{About||the Royal Navy third class cruisers of the late nineteenth century|C class corvette (disambiguation){{!}}C-class corvette}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=NovemberJanuary 20132025}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}

{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}

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=== Ships ===

* {{HMS|Caroline|1914|2}} was built by [[Cammell Laird]] and Company, Birkenhead. She was laid down on 28 January 1914, launched on 29 September 1914, and completed in December. She became a drill ship for the [[Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve]] in April 1924 and fulfilled that role in Alexandra Dock, [[Belfast]] until 31 March 2011, when she was decommissioned. In May 2013 the Heritage Lottery Fund announced an £845,600 grant to support her conversion to a museum.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Historic warship HMS Caroline gets £845,600 boost |newspaperpublisher=[[BBC News Online]] |date=9 May 2013

|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22449280}}</ref>

* {{HMS|Carysfort|1914|2}} was built by [[Pembroke Dockyard]]. Laid down on 25 February 1914, she was launched on 14 November 1914, and completed in June 1915. She was sold for breaking up in August 1931.

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== The ''Calliope'' class ==

The two ships of the ''Calliope'' sub-class -– HMS ''Calliope'' and ''Champion'' -– were the last pair of the eight "light armoured cruisers" to be ordered in July and August 1914 under the 1913 Programme. They both had [[geared turbines]], the first Royal Navy cruisers to be so fitted. They also had increased [[belt armour]]; ''Champion'' had just two screws. They were commissioned in mid to late 1915, as modifications to the ''Caroline'' subclass with higher speeds, a more efficient boiler layout and a reduction in the number of funnels to two. The two ships had different machinery types for comparative purposes. ''Calliope'' and ''Champion'' underwent similar gun armament modifications to the ''Caroline'' subclass. They also had underwater tubes rather than the deck mounted weapons of the ''Caroline'' subclass and were given two twin deck mounted [[torpedo tube]]s during the war but these were later removed to reduce top weight.

=== Ships ===

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[[File:HMS Centaur (1916).jpg|left|250px|thumb|HMS Centaur (1916)]]

The ''Centaur'' subclass were ordered in December 1914, and built using materials originally intended for two [[scout cruiser]]s to be built for [[Turkey]]. These vessels were launched and commissioned in 1916. The class also had geared turbines as well as four screws. They retained the two funnels introduced to the C class by the ''Cambrian''s. Their main armament was five 6&nbsp;in guns in single mounts. Their {{convert|4|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns were mostly replaced in a similar fashion to the previous sub-classes, with smaller calibre weapons.

=== Ships ===

* {{HMS|Centaur|1916|2}}; she was built by [[Armstrong Whitworth|Sir W.G. Armstrong-Whitworth & Co., Ltd.]], Walker on Tyne; she was laid down on 24 January 1915, launched on 6 January 1916, and completed in August 1916. She was sold for breaking up in February 1934.

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|Ship propulsion=*Two shaft [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] geared turbines

*Six boilers

*{{convert|40,00040000|shp|abbr=on}}

|Ship speed={{convert|29|kn|km/h|0}}

|Ship range={{convert|5900|nmi|km|-1}} at {{convert|10|kn|km/h|-1}}

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|Ship propulsion=*Two shaft [[Brown-Curtis]] geared turbines

*Six boilers

*{{convert|40,00040000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}

|Ship speed={{convert|29.5|kn|km/h|0}}

|Ship range=*{{convert|5900|nmi|km|-1}} at {{convert|10|kn|km/h|-1}}

*AA conversions: {{convert|3,2503250|nmi|km|abbr=on}} at {{convert|12|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}

|Ship complement=334

|Ship sensors=

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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>{{cite 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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|Ship propulsion=*Two shaft [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] ([[Brown-Curtis]] in ''Colombo'' and ''Carlisle'') geared turbines

*Six boilers

*{{convert|40,00040000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}

|Ship speed={{convert|29.5|kn|km/h|0}}

|Ship range={{convert|5900|nmi|km|-1}} at {{convert|10|kn|km/h|-1}}

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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 ==

In March 1916, ''Cleopatra'' rammed and sank the [[German Empire|German]] destroyer {{ship|SMS|G 194||2}} while she covered a raid at [[Tondern]]. Ships of the C class were extensively involved later that year in the [[Battle of Jutland]]. In 1917, ''Centaur'' hit mines that blew her bow and stern off. Despite the extensive damage, ''Centaur'' survived and was repaired. The year also saw ships of the class involved in action at the [[Second Battle of Heligoland Bight]].

[[File:HMS Cardiff leading the German high seas fleet.jpg|thumb|''Cardiff'' leading German battle-cruisers into the [[Firth of Forth]] at the end of the First World War]]

In 1918, ''Cardiff'' had the honour of leading the German [[High Seas Fleet]] to the [[River Forth]], where the ships were held before being moved to various other ports.

No C-class ships were lost during the First World War; however, in December 1918, ''Cassandra'' hit a mine and subsequently sank.

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''Coventry'' and ''Curlew'' first had all armament removed. This was replaced with 10 single mount 4&nbsp;inch high angle (HA) guns and two eight-barreled [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|2-pounder "pom-pom"]] mounts. The previous gun directors were removed and replaced with two suitable for anti-aircraft gun control. To keep costs down, only limited structural work was carried out, but the masts were altered. In 1938, because of a shortage of this weapon, the aft pom-pom was removed and fitted on another ship, being replaced by two quadruple {{convert|0.5|in|mm|adj=on}} [[Vickers machine gun]] mounts.

The modifications were considered successful and plans for the conversion of the other eleven ships were drawn up. However, these conversions were delayed; the conversions of ''Cairo'' and ''Calcutta'' did not start until 1938. Instead of single 4 inch guns, they were to receive twin HA mounts, except that one mount was given over to a quadruple pom-pom. In mid-1939, ''Carlisle'' and ''Curacoa'' went in for their conversions, but the work ceased on the outbreak of war.

== Second World War service ==

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==See also==

*[[List of ship classes of the Second World War II]]

==Notes==