HMS Suffolk (55)
Encyclopedia : H : HM : HMS : HMS Suffolk (55)
 HMS Suffolk in 1942. | |
| Career |
|
|---|---|
| Built By: | Portsmouth Dockyard (Portsmouth, UK) |
| Laid down: | 30 September 1924 |
| Launched: | 16 February 1926 |
| Commissioned: | 31 May 1928 |
| Decommissioned: | 25 March 1948 |
| Fate: | Scrapped, she was allocated to BISCO on 25 March 1948 and was scrapped at J Cashmore's (Newport, USA) where she arrived 24 June 1948. |
| Penant: | 55 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Type: | Heavy Cruiser |
| Displacement: | 9,750 tons standard; 13,450 tons full load. |
| Length: | 630 ft (192 m) |
| Beam: | 68.25 ft (20.8 m) |
| Draught: | 16.25 ft (4.9 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 80,000 shp. |
| Speed: | 31.5 knots |
| Range: | 4 989 km (3,100 miles) at 31.5 knots, 21 404 km (13,300 miles) at 12 knots ; 3,400 tons fuel oil |
| Complement: | 700 |
| Armament: | Original configuration:
8 x 8 in (203 mm) single guns, 4 x 4 in (102 mm) single AA guns, 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns, 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns. 2 x 21 in (533 mm) quad Torpedo Tubes.
1937 - 1941 configuration:
1941 - 1942 configuration:
1942 - 1944 configuration:
|
| Armour: | Original configuration:
1 to 4 in magazine box protection, 1.375 in deck, 1 in side-plating,turrets and bulkheads, 4.5 in belt, 4 internal boiler room sides (added 1936-1940). |
| Aircraft: | Original configuration:
3 aircraft with 1 catapult, removed in 1943. |
History
Suffolk, like her sisters, served on the China Station, save for reconstruction, until the outbreak of World War II. She came home in 1939 and then patrolled the Denmark Straits in October 1939. In April 1940 she participated in the Norwegian Campaign. On 14 April 1940 Suffolk sank the German tanker Skagerak (6044 tons) northwest of Bodø, Norway in position 64.05N, 08.00E.On 17 April 1940 Suffolk bombarded a German station for sea planes at Stavanger, destroying four aircraft and badly damaging the installations, but was in return badly damaged by bombs from German Ju88 aircraft of II./KG 30. X-turret's magazine had been destroyed. The ship was very lucky to survive this ordeal and she barely reached Scapa Flow with her stern awash the next morning. She was beached at Scapa Flow to prevent her sinking. Suffolk was out of action from April 1940 until February 1941 where she was repaired at Clyde
During May 1941 Suffolk was involved in the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. Suffolk had engaged the battleship twice during the battle making several salvoes on her. Bismarck finally sank on 27 May 1941.
After her repairs Suffolk served with the Home Fleet in Arctic waters until the end of 1942, then underwent a refit between December 1942 and April 1943. On completion of this the ship was ordered to the Eastern Fleet, operating in the Indian Ocean until the end of the war.
Suffolk was allocated to Bisco on 25 March 1948 and was scrapped at J Cashmore's (Newport, USA) where she arrived on 24 June 1948.
See HMS Suffolk for other ships of the name.
| County-class cruiser |
| Royal Navy |
| Kent sub-class: Berwick | Cumberland | Cornwall | Kent | Suffolk |
| London sub-class: Devonshire | London | Shropshire | Sussex |
| Dorsetshire sub-class: Dorsetshire | Norfolk |
| York sub-class: Exeter | York |
| Royal Australian Navy |
| Kent sub-class: Australia | Canberra |
| London sub-class: Shropshire (transferred) |
List of cruiser classes of the Royal Navy List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy |
| County class cruisers Kent sub class |
| Royal Navy |
| Berwick | Cumberland | Cornwall | Kent | Suffolk |
| Royal Australian Navy |
| Australia | Canberra |
|
List of cruisers of the Royal Navy List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy |
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