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Swiftsure 1946

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Ontario (ex-Minotaur) (RCN)	53, 1948- C53, 1951- CCL32	1171	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	20.11.1941	29.7.1943	25.5.1945	to Canada 11.1944, stricken 10.1958
Swiftsure	08, 1948- C08	43	Vickers-Armstrong, Tyne	22.9.1941	4.2.1943	22.6.1944	stricken 1960, sold for BU 10.1962

Technical data

Max speed, kts, kn	31.5
Displacement standard, t	8800
Displacement full, t	11130 (Swiftsure later 11240, Ontario 11480)
Length, m	164.0 pp 169.3 oa
Breadth, m	19.2
Draught, m	6.30 deep load (later 6.35 - 6.45)
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	72500
Fuel, t	oil 1850
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armour, mm	belt: 89 - 83, bulkheads: 51 - 38, turrets: 51 - 25, barbettes: up to 25, deck: 51 - 32
Armament	Ontario: 3 x 3 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 5 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 3 - 533 TT Swiftsure: 3 x 3 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 5 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 3 - 533 TT
Electronic equipment	Swiftsure: type 277, type 281B, type 282, type 283, type 284, type 285, type 293 radars Ontario: type 275, type 277, type 281B, type 282, type 283, type 284, type 285, type 293 radars
Complement	855, 960 war

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Last British cruisers completed in days of war. Enhanced design of Fiji with better stability at the expense of breadth increase, strengthened AA armament and larger fuel stowage.

Protection

Armoured belt extended from "A" to "Y" barbettes and to upper deck abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck abreast aft engine room, CCC and magazines. Its thickness was 89mm abreast magazines and 83mm abreast machinery. Belt was closed by 51-38mm bulkheads. Armoured deck was 51mm thick (32mm with 38mm slopes over steering gear). Transom stern was 38mm thick.

Modernizations 8.

1945, Ontario: - 4 x 1 - 40/39; + 4 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III

8/1945, Swiftsure: - 8 x 2 - 20/70, 6 x 1 - 20/70; + 13 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III

1/1946, Swiftsure: 3 x 3 - 152/50 Mk XXII, 5 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 13 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 4 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 277, type 281B, type 282, type 283, type 284, type 285, type 293 radars

Naval service

Minotaur was transferred to Canada at period of building and renamed.

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