Sea Weapons

Light Cruiser (1937)

Town class

HMS Sheffield (24)

Preceded by:

Arethusa (1935)

Succeeded by:

Crown Colony (1940)

Datafile

ClassSouthamptonGloucesterEdinburgh
TypeLight CruiserLight CruiserLight Cruiser
Year193719381939
Crew748800850
Dimensions
Length180.3 m (pp)
170.1 m
180.3 m (pp)
170.1 m
176.5 m (pp)
187.0 m
Beam18.8 m19 m19.3 m
Draught6.2 m6.3 m6.5 m
Displacement
Empty9,100 t9,400 t10,550 t
Loaded11,350 t11,650 t13,175 t
Performance
Speed59 km/h60 km/h60 km/h
Range12,964 km @ 30 km/h
12,964 km @ 30 km/h
18,520 km @ 30 km/h
Machinery
Shafts444
Turbines4 x Geared steam
75,000 hp
Parsons
4 x Geared steam
82,500 hp
Parsons
4 x Geared steam
80,000 hp
Parsons
Boilers4 x Admiralty4 x Admiralty4 x Admiralty
FuelOil: 1,925-2,070 tOil: 1,950-2,100 tOil: 1,950-2,100 t
Armament
Main12 x 152-mm/50 (4 x 3)
BL 6-in Mk. XXIII
-5° / +60°

12 x 152-mm/50 (4 x 3)
BL 6-in Mk. XXIII
-5° / +60°

12 x 152-mm/50 (4 x 3)
BL 6-in Mk. XXIII
-5° / +60°

Anti-Aircraft
Torpedo tubes6 x 533-mm (2 x 3)
6 x 533-mm (2 x 3)
6 x 533-mm (2 x 3)
Broadside610 kg610 kg610 kg
Armor
Belt114 mm114 mm114 mm
Bulkhead25 - 64 mm25 - 64 mm25 - 64 mm
Deck51 mm51 mm51 mm
Gun turret51 - 102 mm51 - 102 mm51 - 102 mm
Machinery25 - 114 mm25 - 114 mm-0 - 0 mm
Aircraft
Aircraft333
Production
Built532
Total10

Registry

Ship Code Builder Laid Launch Comm Decomm Fate
Town (Southampton):
Birmingham 19 Devonport DYd18/07/193501/09/193618/11/193703/12/1959Sold/Scrapped
Glasgow 21 Scotts16/04/193520/06/193609/09/193711/1956Sold/Scrapped
Newcastle 76 Vickers-Armstrong04/10/193423/01/193605/03/193708/1958Sold/Scrapped
Sheffield 24 Vickers-Armstrong31/01/193523/07/193625/08/193701/1959Sold/Scrapped
Southampton 83 John Brown21/11/193410/03/193606/03/193711/01/1941 Loss by aircraft
Town (Gloucester):
Gloucester 62 Devonport DYd22/09/193619/10/193731/01/193922/05/1941 Loss by aircraft
Liverpool 11 Fairfield17/02/193624/03/193702/11/193804/1952Sold/Scrapped
Manchester 15 Hawthorn Leslie28/03/193612/04/193704/08/193813/08/1942 Loss by surface ship
Town (Edinburgh):
Belfast 35 Harland & Wolff10/12/193617/03/193803/08/193924/08/1963Preserved
Edinburgh 16 Swan Hunter30/12/193631/03/193806/07/193902/05/1942 Loss by surface ship

Gallery