Hawkins class cruiser
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The Hawkins-class was a class of five heavy cruisers of the Royal Navy built in the late 1910s. The class is also known as the Cavendish-class or the Elizabethan-class as they were named after Elizabethan sea captains. The ships were improved versions of the Birmingham sub-class of the Town-class cruisers. This class is unusual since two of the ships were lost to shipwreck on uncharted rocks. This class also formed the basis for heavy cruisers under the Washington Treaty.
Design Origin
These ships were designed for trade protection on distant waters and were spurred on by rumours of German heavy cruisers none of which actually materialised. They were an enlarged version of the Town class and passed through several design stages. Initially a ship armed with 9.2 inch and 6 inch guns was proposed. This was superseded by a ship with a uniform 7.5 inch armament. The machinery was initially designed for mixed coal/oil because coal was more available then oil at remote bases, but was later changed to oil firing boilers only.General characteristics
from Conway's All the world's Fighting Ships 1906-1922
- Displacement: 9750 tons standard, 12,190 tons full load
- Length: 605 ft (184.4 m)
- Beam: 65 ft (19.8 m)
- Draught: 19 ft (5.9m)
- Machinery: 4 shaft geared turbines 10-12 boilers 60,000 to 70,000 hp
- Speed: 30 -31 knots
- Range: 5400 nm at 14kts
- Armament (as built):
- * 7 x single 7.5 inch gun BL Mark VI in mounting CP Mk.V
- * 4 x single 4 inch gun QF Mk.V in mount HA Mk.III
- * 4 x fixed 21 inch torpedo tubes,
- Armament (Effingham, from 1937):
- * 9 x single 6 inch gun BL Mk.XII in mounting CP Mk.XIV
- * 4 x twin 4 inch gun QF Mk.XVI in mounting HA/LA Mk.XIX
- * 2 x quad 2 pdr pom-pom A/A on mount Mk.VII
- * 3 x quad 0.5 in Vickers MG A/A
- * 4 x fixed 21 inch torpedo tubes
- Armour: 1.5 to 3 inch belt, 1-1.5 inch deck, 1-0.5 inch box around magazines, 3 inch conning tower
- Crew: 712
Ships
- Hawkins, named after John Hawkins, built by HM Chatham Dockyard, was launched in 1917 and completed in 1919, served in World War II as a convoy escort in the Indian Ocean, also provided gunfire support during Normandy landings. Scrapped in 1947.
- Vindictive. Built by Harland and Wolff, she was laid down as the cruiser Cavendish (named after Thomas Cavendish), redesigned as an aircraft carrier, launched on 17 January, 1918, then converted back to a cruiser in 1923–1925. She served as a training ship, and in World War II as a base and repair ship. She was scrapped in 1945.
- Raleigh named after Walter Raleigh built by Beardmore, was launched in 1919 and completed in July 1921. On August 8, 1922 she ran aground on Point Amour, Forteau Bay, Labrador, Canada in thick fog. She remained there until destroyed with explosives in September 1926.
- Frobisher named after Martin Frobisher, built by HM Devonport Dockyard, was launched in 1920 and completed in september 1924. Served in World War II as a convoy escort and a depot ship for the Normandy landings. She was broken up in 1949.
- Effingham named after Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham (known as Lord Effingham at the time of the Spanish Armada) built by HM Portsmouth Dockyard, was launched in 1921 and completed in July 1925., She was modernised as a light cruiser in 1937. She was grounded and wrecked near Bodo, Norway on 18 May 1940 and destroyed by gunfire three days later.
References
- D.K.Brown , The Grand Fleet Warship design and Development 1906-1922
- M.J Whitley, Cruisers of World War Two, an international Encyclopedia
| Hawkins-class cruiser |
| Effingham | Frobisher | Hawkins | Raleigh | Vindictive |
| List of cruisers of the Royal Navy |
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