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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM
CRUISERS
SOUTHAMPTON light cruisers (5, 1937)


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Sheffield 1940

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Birmingham 19, 1948- C19   Devonport DYd 18.7.1935 1.9.1936 18.11.1937 sold for BU 3.1960
Glasgow 21, 1948- C21 564 Scotts, Greenock 16.4.1935 20.6.1936 9.9.1937 sold for BU 3.1958
Newcastle 76, 1948- C76 2 Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne 4.10.1934 23.1.1936 5.3.1937 stricken 8.1958
Sheffield 24, 1948- C24 5 Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne 31.1.1935 23.7.1936 25.8.1937 stricken 9.1964
Southampton 83 542 John Brown, Clydebank 21.11.1934 10.3.1936 6.3.1937 sunk 11.1.1941


Technical data


Max speed, kts, kn

32

Displacement standard, t

9100

Displacement full, t

11350 (later 12190)

Length, m

170.1 pp 180.3 oa

Breadth, m

18.8

Draught, m

6.20 deep load (later 6.55)

No of shafts

4

Machinery

4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

75000

Fuel, t

oil 1925 - 2070

Endurance, nm(kts)12100(12)
Armour, mm

box protection to magazines: 114 - 25, belt: 114, bulkheads: 64, barbettes: 51 - 25, turrets: 25, deck: 38 - 32

Armament4 x 3 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, 3 aircraft (Osprey, Seal, Walrus, Swordfish, Seafox), 1 catapult D-I-H
Complement

748



Standard scale images


<i>Sheffield</i> 1943
Sheffield 1943
<i>Sheffield </i>1963
Sheffield 1963
<i>Southampton</i> 1940
Southampton 1940
<i>Southampton</i> 1940
Southampton 1940


Graphics


<i>Sheffield</i> 1940
Sheffield 1940


Project history

Design of Southampton was formed as the answer on Japanese Mogami with 15 155mm guns. Starting point for designing was design of Phaeton increased for triple turrets instead of the twin. There was a transverse catapult between funnels and 2 hangars abreast fore funnel. The antiaircraft armament was strengthened: twin 102mm guns and quadruple 40mm pompoms were originally provided. New triple turrets were well automated and theoretically ensured 12 spm firing rate (really almost in 2 times less). Protection in comparison with predecessors was increased: both a belt length and thickness. Thus the symbolical 25mm protection of turrets became an obvious discord.

Protection

114mm armoured belt protected machinery spaces, AA magazines and Combat Control Centre and extended to upper deck abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck abreast aft engine room, CCC and magazines. Belt was closed by 64mm bulkheads. Armoured deck extended from "A" barbette to steering gear compartment and was 32mm thick (32mm with 38mm slopes over steering gear). Magazines were covered by 114mm bulkheads and 51mm crowns.

Modernizations 5.

1938, Sheffield: received her catapult with seaplanes (she was commissioned without it).

8/1938, Sheffield: + type 79Y radar

1939, all: - 4 x 1 - 47/40

1/1940, Southampton: + type 279 radar

5/1940, Newcastle: + 2 x 20 - 178 UP AA rockets projectors

6/1940, Birmingham: + 1 x 20 - 178 UP AA rockets projector

7/1940, Glasgow: + 2 x 20 - 178 UP AA rockets projectors, type 286M radar

11/1940, Birmingham; 3.1941, Newcastle: + type 286M radar

summer 1941, Glasgow: - 2 x 20 - 178 UP

7/1941, Birmingham: - 1 x 20 - 178 UP

9/1941, Sheffield: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 79Y radar; + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 284 radar

11/1941, Newcastle: - 2 x 20 - 178 UP, type 286M radar; + 9 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 290 radar

1/1942, Newcastle: - type 290 radar; + type 273, type 291, type 285 radars

3/1942, Birmingham: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 286M radar; + 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 284, type 291 radars

7/1942, Sheffield: - type 79Y radar; + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273, type 281, type 285 radars

8/1942, Glasgow: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 286M radar; + 9 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 271, type 281, type 282, type 284, type 285 radars

11/1942, Newcastle: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, catapult with seaplanes; + 10 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281, type 284, 1x type 285 (2nd) radars

12/1942, Glasgow: - 5 x 1 - 20/70, catapult with seaplanes; + 8 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

6/1943, Sheffield: + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

8/1943, Birmingham: - 5 x 1 - 20/70, catapult with seaplanes, type 291 radar; + 8 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273, type 281, type 285 radars

9/1943, Newcastle: - 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon; + 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

10/1943, Glasgow: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 283 radar

1/1944, Sheffield: - catapult with seaplanes; + 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

6/1944, Glasgow: + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1/1945, Birmingham: - 1 x 3 - 152/50 ("X"); + 4 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors Mk 1.2, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 282 radar

5/1945, Sheffield: - 1 x 3 - 152/50 ("X"), 15 x 1 - 20/70, type 273 radar; + 4 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors Mk 1.2, 10 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 277 radar

5/1945, Glasgow: - 1 x 3 - 152/50 ("X"), 2 x 2 - 20/70, 4 x 1 - 20/70, type 271, type 281, type 284 radars; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 4 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, type 274, type 281B, type 293 radars

1.1946, Birmingham: 3 x 3 - 152/50 Mk XXII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 2 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 10 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 9 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 273, type 281, type 282, type 284, type 285, type 291 radars

1.1946, Glasgow: 3 x 3 - 152/50 Mk XXII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 4 x 1 - 40/39 Mk VIII, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 274, type 281B, type 282, type 283, type 285, type 293 radars

1.1946, Newcastle: 4 x 3 - 152/50 Mk XXII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 13 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 273, type 281, type 284, 2x type 285, type 291 radars

1.1946, Sheffield: 3 x 3 - 152/50 Mk XXII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 4 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 2 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 10 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 7 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 273, type 277, type 281, type 284, type 285 radars

1946, Sheffield: + 10 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III

1952, Birmingham, Newcastle; 1957, Sheffield: + 2x type 275 radars

Naval service

Southampton was damaged by two or three 250kg bombs from German Ju 87 bombers at Malta 11.1.1941, she was abandoned and sunk by torpedoes from Gloucester and Orion. Glasgow was damaged by two aircraft torpedoes 3.12.1940 and temporarily repaired in January 1941. Full repair lasted from May till October, 1942. Newcastle was damaged by torpedo 15.6.1942 and was under repair till March, 1943. Birmingham was damaged by torpedo 28.11.1943 and was under repair till January, 1945. Sheffield was damaged by a mine 4.3.1942, repair lasted  4 months.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.