Crown Colony class cruiser
Encyclopedia
The Crown Colony-class light cruiser
s of the Royal Navy
were named after Crown Colonies
of the British Empire
. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were built to a slightly modified design.
imposed on cruisers, which lowered the Washington
limit of 10,000 tons to 8,000 tons, and were basically smaller derivatives of the Town-class
cruiser. The armour scheme was revised from that of the Towns, in that the main belt now protected the 6 inch ammunition spaces, although the belt itself was reduced to 3.5 inches here and 3.25 inches at the machinery spaces. The 6 inch Mk XXIII turrets and ammunition spaces were laid out as per the Edinburgh group of the Town class, except the after turrets were a deck lower as in the Southampton and Gloucester groups. The supply of ammunition to the 4 inches (102 mm) guns was also improved, dispensing with the complicated conveyor system. The Crown Colonys were instantly recognisable as they had a transom
stern and straight funnels and masts; those of the Towns being raked. Due to the size of the Crown Colony class, a number of the ships had their 'X' turret removed to allow the shipping of additional light anti-aircraft guns. Ships of the Fiji group were equipped with the HACS
AA fire control system for the secondary armament while the Ceylon group used the Fuze Keeping Clock
for AA fire control and both groups used the Admiralty Fire Control Table
for surface fire control of the main armament, and the Admiralty Fire Control Clock for surface fire control of the secondary armament.
sets meant that the aircraft were now surplus to requirements, allowing the removal of the aircraft and catapult. Not only did this provide additional accommodation spaces for enlarged wartime crews, but there was no longer the need to carry large quantities of volatile aviation fuel; in 1940, Liverpool
had her bows blown off when a torpedo detonated the 5,700 gallons of aviation fuel stored forwards and was out of action for a year. Fiji and Kenya never received the catapult, Nigeria had hers removed in 1941 and the other ships had theirs removed between 1942 and 1944.
The Ceylon group were completed without 'X' 6 inch turret, and between 1944 and 1945, those of Bermuda, Jamaica, Mauritius and Kenya were also removed. This allowed the carriage of additional light A/A weapons, a quadruple QF 2 pdr pom-pom
mounting Mark VII generally being carried in 'X' position. Bermuda, Jamaica and Mauritius had 2 additional quadruple pom-poms added (for a total of five) and between 2 and 4 single pom-poms in powered mountings Mark XV. In Kenya, all pom-poms were removed, and were replaced with 5 twin and 8 single 40 mm /60 Bofors A/A
. By the end of the war, Newfoundland had one and Uganda had 2 American pattern quadruple 40 mm /60 Bofors mounts Mark III and Nigeria had 4 single mounts Mark III. Generally, 6 to 24 20 mm Oerlikon
guns were also added in a mixture of single mounts Mark IIIA and twin powered mounts Mark V.
in 1941, and Trinidad
the following year. They continued in service after the war, taking part in further actions, such as the Korean War
. Ceylon
was later sold to Peru
, being renamed Coronel Bolognesi, along with Newfoundland
, which was renamed Almirante Grau. The ship was decommissioned in 1982. Nigeria
was also sold, to India
, being renamed INS Mysore
. The ship was scrapped in 1985, an astonishingly long time since her launch in the late 1930s.
All ships of the Crown Colony-class were decommissioned from the Royal Navy by the late 1960s, though none of them were the last cruisers of the Royal Navy. That honour went to Blake
, a modified Tiger-class
cruiser, which was decommissioned in 1980, seemingly the last ever cruiser to be in the Royal Navy.
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
were named after Crown Colonies
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were built to a slightly modified design.
Design
They were built due to the limitations that the Second London Naval TreatySecond London Naval Treaty
The Second London Naval Disarmament Conference opened in London, the United Kingdom, on 9 December 1935. It resulted in the Second London Naval Treaty which was signed on 25 March 1936.- Description :...
imposed on cruisers, which lowered the Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
limit of 10,000 tons to 8,000 tons, and were basically smaller derivatives of the Town-class
Town class cruiser (1936)
The Town-class was a 10-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930....
cruiser. The armour scheme was revised from that of the Towns, in that the main belt now protected the 6 inch ammunition spaces, although the belt itself was reduced to 3.5 inches here and 3.25 inches at the machinery spaces. The 6 inch Mk XXIII turrets and ammunition spaces were laid out as per the Edinburgh group of the Town class, except the after turrets were a deck lower as in the Southampton and Gloucester groups. The supply of ammunition to the 4 inches (102 mm) guns was also improved, dispensing with the complicated conveyor system. The Crown Colonys were instantly recognisable as they had a transom
Transom (nautical)
In naval architecture, a transom is the surface that forms the stern of a vessel. Transoms may be flat or curved and they may be vertical, raked forward, also known as a retroussé or reverse transom, angling forward from the waterline to the deck, or raked aft, often simply called "raked", angling...
stern and straight funnels and masts; those of the Towns being raked. Due to the size of the Crown Colony class, a number of the ships had their 'X' turret removed to allow the shipping of additional light anti-aircraft guns. Ships of the Fiji group were equipped with the HACS
HACS
HACS, an acronym of High Angle Control System, was a British anti-aircraft fire-control system employed by the Royal Navy from 1931 onwards and used widely during World War II...
AA fire control system for the secondary armament while the Ceylon group used the Fuze Keeping Clock
Fuze Keeping Clock
The Fuze Keeping Clock was a simplified version of the Royal Navy's High Angle Control System analogue fire control computer. It first appeared as the FKC Mk1 in destroyers of the 1938 Tribal class, while later variants were used on sloops, frigates, destroyers, aircraft carriers and several...
for AA fire control and both groups used the Admiralty Fire Control Table
Admiralty Fire Control Table
thumb|Admiralty Fire Control Table in the transmitting station of [[HMS Belfast |HMS Belfast]].The Admiralty Fire Control Table was an electromechanical analogue computer fire-control system that calculated the correct elevation and deflection of a Royal Navy cruiser or battleships' main armament,...
for surface fire control of the main armament, and the Admiralty Fire Control Clock for surface fire control of the secondary armament.
Modifications
The addition of radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
sets meant that the aircraft were now surplus to requirements, allowing the removal of the aircraft and catapult. Not only did this provide additional accommodation spaces for enlarged wartime crews, but there was no longer the need to carry large quantities of volatile aviation fuel; in 1940, Liverpool
HMS Liverpool (C11)
HMS Liverpool , named after the port city of Liverpool in north-west England, was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy in service from 1938 to 1952....
had her bows blown off when a torpedo detonated the 5,700 gallons of aviation fuel stored forwards and was out of action for a year. Fiji and Kenya never received the catapult, Nigeria had hers removed in 1941 and the other ships had theirs removed between 1942 and 1944.
The Ceylon group were completed without 'X' 6 inch turret, and between 1944 and 1945, those of Bermuda, Jamaica, Mauritius and Kenya were also removed. This allowed the carriage of additional light A/A weapons, a quadruple QF 2 pdr pom-pom
QF 2 pounder naval gun
The 2-pounder gun, officially designated the QF 2-pounder and universally known as the pom-pom, was a 1.575 inch British autocannon, used famously as an anti-aircraft gun by the Royal Navy. The name came from the sound that the original models make when firing...
mounting Mark VII generally being carried in 'X' position. Bermuda, Jamaica and Mauritius had 2 additional quadruple pom-poms added (for a total of five) and between 2 and 4 single pom-poms in powered mountings Mark XV. In Kenya, all pom-poms were removed, and were replaced with 5 twin and 8 single 40 mm /60 Bofors A/A
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
. By the end of the war, Newfoundland had one and Uganda had 2 American pattern quadruple 40 mm /60 Bofors mounts Mark III and Nigeria had 4 single mounts Mark III. Generally, 6 to 24 20 mm Oerlikon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
guns were also added in a mixture of single mounts Mark IIIA and twin powered mounts Mark V.
Service
They served with distinction during the Second World War, losing FijiHMS Fiji (C58)
HMS Fiji was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the island group, and at that time, the Crown colony of Fiji. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.-Early career:...
in 1941, and Trinidad
HMS Trinidad (C46)
HMS Trinidad was a Royal Navy Crown Colony-class cruiser . She was lost while serving in the Arctic on convoy duty after being damaged escorting PQ-13 in 1942.-Early career:...
the following year. They continued in service after the war, taking part in further actions, such as the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Ceylon
HMS Ceylon (C30)
HMS Ceylon was a Ceylon class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy, named for the island of Ceylon — now Sri Lanka — which was a British possession when she was built.-Wartime career:...
was later sold to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, being renamed Coronel Bolognesi, along with Newfoundland
HMS Newfoundland (C59)
HMS Newfoundland was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. Named after Newfoundland, she fought in the Second World War and was later sold to the Peruvian Navy.-Early career:...
, which was renamed Almirante Grau. The ship was decommissioned in 1982. Nigeria
HMS Nigeria (60)
HMS Nigeria was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy completed early in World War II and served throughout that conflict. She was named for the British territory of Nigeria.-Home waters:...
was also sold, to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, being renamed INS Mysore
INS Mysore
Following ships of the Indian Navy have been named for the state city of Mysore:, a Crown Colony class light cruiser, the former HMS Nigeria, commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1957, and decommissioned in 1985, a Delhi class destroyer, commissioned into the India Navy in 1999...
. The ship was scrapped in 1985, an astonishingly long time since her launch in the late 1930s.
All ships of the Crown Colony-class were decommissioned from the Royal Navy by the late 1960s, though none of them were the last cruisers of the Royal Navy. That honour went to Blake
HMS Blake (C99)
HMS Blake was a guided missile cruiser of the Tiger class of the Royal Navy, the last of the Royal Navy cruisers. She was named after Admiral Robert Blake, a 17th century admiral who was the "Father of the Royal Navy". She was ordered in 1942 as one of the Minotaur class of light cruisers...
, a modified Tiger-class
Tiger class cruiser
The Tiger-class helicopter cruisers were the first of such a type in the Royal Navy, and the last cruisers built for the Royal Navy. They were originally designed to be Minotaur-class light cruisers...
cruiser, which was decommissioned in 1980, seemingly the last ever cruiser to be in the Royal Navy.
Fiji group
- BermudaHMS Bermuda (C52)HMS Bermuda was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy. She was completed during World War II and served in that conflict...
- Took part in Operation TorchOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the landings in North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, during WWII, as well as other operations. After the war, the ship continued in service, seeing much of the world, and receiving a number of refits which helped her last until her decommissioning in 1962. She was scrapped in 1965. - FijiHMS Fiji (C58)HMS Fiji was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the island group, and at that time, the Crown colony of Fiji. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.-Early career:...
- In 1940 Fiji was torpedoed by a German U-boat but survived. In 1941, during the Battle of CreteBattle of CreteThe Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, Fiji was hit by a bomb from a German Me 109 aircraft, after having survived 20 bomb hits, this one caused her to list heavily, though three further bombs proved fatal for the cruiser. 244 of her crew were lost. - GambiaHMS Gambia (C48)HMS Gambia was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was in the service of the Royal New Zealand Navy as HMNZS Gambia from 1943 to 1946...
- Was transferred to the Royal New Zealand NavyRoyal New Zealand NavyThe Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...
from 1943, seeing active service in the British Pacific FleetBritish Pacific FleetThe British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
. She was returned to the Royal Navy in 1946. The ship was scrapped in 1968. - JamaicaHMS Jamaica (C44)HMS Jamaica, a Crown Colony-class cruiser of the Royal Navy, was named after the island of Jamaica, which was a British possession when she was built in the late 1930s. The light cruiser spent almost her entire wartime career on Arctic convoy duties, except for a deployment south for the landings...
- Served in WWII, taking part in a number of operations during that war. In the Korean War, Jamaica was known as "The Galloping Ghost of the Korean Coast", due to the North Koreans claiming that she had been sunk three times. She was scrapped in 1960. - KenyaHMS Kenya (C14)HMS Kenya was a Crown Colony-class cruiser of the British Royal Navy. The ship was named after Kenya, a British possession at the time of the ship's construction.-Convoy escort:...
- Was heavily involved in WWII, being deployed to the Far East for some time. Kenya was also involved in the Korean War. She was scrapped in 1962. - MauritiusHMS Mauritius (C80)HMS Maurituis, pennant C80, was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was named after Mauritius, which was a British possession when she was built...
- She was involved in the Normandy Landings, and other actions during WWII. She was scrapped in 1965. - NigeriaHMS Nigeria (60)HMS Nigeria was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy completed early in World War II and served throughout that conflict. She was named for the British territory of Nigeria.-Home waters:...
- Was involved in Operation PedestalOperation PedestalOperation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
(when she was damaged by Italian submarine AxumItalian submarine AxumThe Italian submarine Axum was an Italian Adua-class submarine serving in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the holy city of Axum, in Ethiopia. She was built in the CRDA shipyard, in Monfalcone...
), the largest attempt to assist the besieged island of Malta in 1942. She participated in raids on SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
as part of the Eastern Fleet in 1945, as well as a number of other deployments. She was sold to India in 1958, being renamed INS MysoreINS MysoreFollowing ships of the Indian Navy have been named for the state city of Mysore:, a Crown Colony class light cruiser, the former HMS Nigeria, commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1957, and decommissioned in 1985, a Delhi class destroyer, commissioned into the India Navy in 1999...
. She was scrapped in 1985. - TrinidadHMS Trinidad (C46)HMS Trinidad was a Royal Navy Crown Colony-class cruiser . She was lost while serving in the Arctic on convoy duty after being damaged escorting PQ-13 in 1942.-Early career:...
- In 1942 while engaging three German destroyers, she was hit by her own torpedo, which had a faulty gyroscopeGyroscopeA gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
causing it to run in circles, though she did destroy one of the German warships. The same year, Trinidad was hit by Luftwaffe Ju 88 bombers, damaging her to an extent that her crew were forced to scuttle her in the Barents SeaBarents SeaThe Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
the following day.
Ceylon group
- CeylonHMS Ceylon (C30)HMS Ceylon was a Ceylon class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy, named for the island of Ceylon — now Sri Lanka — which was a British possession when she was built.-Wartime career:...
- Was deployed to the Far East for much of World War II, and was heavily involved in the Korean War, being involved heavily during that war. She was decommissioned in 1960, and subsequently sold to Peru, being renamed Coronel Bolognesi. She was decommissioned in 1982. - NewfoundlandHMS Newfoundland (C59)HMS Newfoundland was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. Named after Newfoundland, she fought in the Second World War and was later sold to the Peruvian Navy.-Early career:...
- She was torpedoed by Italian submarine Ascianghi, receiving temporary repairs at MaltaMaltaMalta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, and full repairs at Boston Navy YardBoston Navy YardThe Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. Established in 1801, it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1, 1974, and the property was...
. In 1944, the ship suffered an explosion at AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
while docked there. She sustaining heavy damage, also suffering a number of casualties. She was in the Far East from 1945, supporting a number of operations there. She sank the Egyptian frigate Domiat, during the Suez operations, after the latter ship fired on her. She was sold to Peru in 1959, being renamed Almirante Grau and then Capitan Quinones in 1973. She was decommissioned in 1979. She was ironically broken up in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the country that she and her crew fought against in World War II. - UgandaHMS Uganda (C66)HMS Uganda, was a Second World War-era Crown Colony-class light cruiser launched in 1941. She served in the Royal Navy during 1943 and 1944, including operations in the Mediterranean, and was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in in October 1944. She served in the Pacific theatre in 1945 and...
- Escorted the RMS Queen MaryRMS Queen MaryRMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
to WashingtonWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
with Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
embarked. Covered the invasion of SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 1943. She was then hit by a German glide bombGlide bombA glide bomb is an aerial bomb modified with aerodynamic surfaces to modify its flight path from a purely ballistic one to a flatter, gliding, one. This extends the range between the launch aircraft and the target. Glide bombs are often fitted with control systems, allowing the controlling aircraft...
that same year, causing significant damage and killing sixteen of her crew and wounding seven. Following repairs carried out in 1944 in the USA she was recommissioned in the Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
as HMCS Uganda. She joined the British Pacific FleetBritish Pacific FleetThe British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...
in 1945 taking part in a number of actions in the Far East. She was put in reserve in 1947 but recommissioned as HMCS Quebec for service in the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. The ship was scrapped in 1961.
External links
- Gunnery Layout of "Mauritius" Class Cruiser. from Gunnery Pocket Book 1945 placed online courtesy of Historic Naval Ships Association