HMS Cambrian Download high resolution version (1057x719, 73 KB)HMS Cambrian (C-class cruiser). ...
C-class
General Characteristics
Displacement:
Length:
Beam:
Draught:
Propulsion:
Speed:
Range:
Complement:
Armament:

The C-class were light cruisers of the Royal Navy, and were built in a number of sub-classes known as the Caroline (six ships), Cambrian (six ships), Centaur (two ships), Caledon (four ships), Ceres (five ships) and Carlisle (five ships) classes. They were built for the rough conditions of the North Sea and proved rugged, and capable, vessels, though were quite small and cramped. The White Ensign of the Royal Navy. ... A light cruiser is a warship that is not so large and powerful as a regular (or heavy) cruiser, but still larger than ships like destroyers. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ...

Carolines

The Caroline-class were all launched in 1914 and commissioned in 1915. They had an armament of two single 6-in guns aft, eight 4-in guns and two 6-pounder guns. Their anti-aircraft (AA) weaponry consisted of four 3-pounder guns. Their aft 6-in gun was superimposed and the class had three funnels. During WWI, the class underwent a variety of alterations, including the removal of the 4-inch guns in Caroline, Carysfort and Comus, being replaced by two extra 6-inch guns, while Cleopatra, Conquest and Cordelia retained one or two of the 4-inch guns, with two 2-pounder guns being added to some of the ships. 1914 (MCMXIV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Cambrians

The Cambrian-class were commissioned between 1915 and 1916. They had two funnels rather than the three in the previous sub-class. HM ships Calliope and Champion had all geared turbines, the first RN cruisers to be fitted with them. They also had increased belt armour and, Champion had just two screws. The Cambrian-class had similar armament to the previous sub-class, with its main armament being four 6-inch guns in single turrets. Their secondary armament consisted of eight 4-inch guns. They were later removed from the class, except for Canterbury and Champion which retained one single 4-inch gun. The rest of the ships used either two to three 3-inch guns. His or Her Majestys Ship (HMS) is the title of any commissioned ship in the British Royal Navy, and refers to the King or Queen of the United Kingdom as appropriate at the time. ...

Centaurs

The Centaur-class were launched and commissioned in 1916. The class also had geared turbines, as-well as four screws. They retained the two funnels introduced to the C-class by the Cambrians. Their main armament was five 6-in guns in single turrets. Their 4-inch guns were mostly replaced in a similar fashion to the previous sub-classes, with smaller calibre guns.

Caeldons

The Caledon-class were all commissioned in 1917. They retained the two funnels of the previous two sub-classes. Their propulsion was slightly different to the previous sub-classes. Their superstructure was also slightly altered. They had a main armament of five 6-inch guns and a secondary armament of two 3-in guns, as-well as an AA armament of four 3-pounder guns. The surviving ships of the class survived to see World War II, and underwent a number of modifications. Five 20 mm Oerlikon guns were added to all ships. Caledon herself had a different armament, as she underwent an extensive rebuild that saw her become an AA cruiser. She was armed with the effective 4-inch gun, of which she had twelve, two 40 mm Bofors and eight 20 mm Oerlikons. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... Oerlikon is a Swiss anti-aircraft artillery manufacturer made famous by its Oerlikon 20 mm autocannon design of 1914, used in the First and Second World Wars, and still today. ... Bofors 40mm/L60. ...

Ceres

The Ceres-class were commissioned between [1917-1918. They were very "wet" at the bow, which was remedied in the subsequent Carlisle sub-class with the addition of a "trawler bow". Their main armament consisted of five 6-inch guns, while their secondary armament consisted of two 3-inch guns, of which a further one was later added to Ceres herself. Four 3-pounder guns were also fitted. Three ships underwent extensive rebuilds during the 1930s, becoming AA cruisers, resulting in all previous armament being removed. The ships were Coventry, Curacao and Curlew, with Curacao being the last of the three to be rebuilt in 1939; the other two ships having been converted in 1935. Coventry and Curlew were given ten 4-inch guns (two later being removed from Coventry) and sixteen 3-inch guns for their AA role. Curacao had slightly different gun numbers, being armed with eight 4-inch guns and four 3-inch guns, and later on in WWII, four 20 mm Oerlikons. Cardiff and Ceres were to have underwent the same conversion, but this was prevented by the outbreak of war. // Events and trends The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the global depression. ...

Carlisles

The Carlisle-class were commissioned between 1918 and 1922. They differed from the previous sub-class, with the addition of a "trawler bow" which raised the bow higher, as-well as having no conning towers. They had an armament of five 6-inch guns in single turrets, while their secondary armament consisted of two 3-inch guns, four 3-pounder guns and two 2-pounder guns. All ships of the class, except Colombo, were converted into AA cruisers in 1939. Their main armament consisted of eight 4-inch guns in four triple turrets with varying numbers of 20 mm Oerlikon guns being added. Colombo was finally converted to an AA cruiser in 1942, with its armament consisting of eight 4-inch guns and six 20 mm Oerlikons.

First World war Service

In March 1916, Cleopatra rammed and sank the German destroyer G.194 while Cleopatra covered a raid at Tondern. Ships of the C-class were extensively involved later that year in the Battle of Jutland. In 1917, Centaur hit mines that blew her bow and stern off. Despite the extensive damage, Centaur survived and was repaired. The year also saw ships of the class involved in action at Heligoland Bight. Tønder (German Tondern) is a municipality in south Denmark, in the county of South Jutland on the peninsula of Jutland. ... The Battle of Jutland, known in Germany as the Battle of the Skagerrak (Skagerrakschlacht), was the largest naval battle of World War I, and the only full-scale clash of battleships in that war. ... The Heligoland Bight (also known as Helgoland Bight or German Bight) is a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river. ...

In 1918, Cardiff had the honour of leading the defeated German High Seas Fleet to the River Forth, where the German ships would be held before being moved to various other ports. German battlecruiser Derfflinger scuttled at Scapa Flow. ... The River Forth meanders over fertile farmlands near Stirling The River Forth, 47 km (29 miles) long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland. ...

No C-class ships were lost during the First World War; however, in December 1918, Cassandra hit a mine and subsequently sank.

Ships of the C-class performed a variety of duties after World War I, including service on overseas stations. In 1919, Curacoa hit a mine that badly damaged her, but she survived and was repaired. The Caroline, Cambrian and Centaur classes were all scrapped or consigned to minor roles, such as training ships, by the 1930s.

Second World War service

In the Second World War, the Caledon, Ceres and Carlisle class ships participated, despite their age. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ...

Calypso caught the German blockade-runner Konsul Hendrik Fisser in 1939. That same year, Caradoc intercepted the German tanker Emmy Friedrich, whose crew subsequently scuttled her. A number of ships took part in the Norway Campaign in 1940. German battle cruisers in a Norwegian port in June 1940 The Norwegian Campaign led to the first direct confrontation between the military forces of the Allies — United Kingdom and France against Nazi Germany in World War II. The primary reason for Germany seeking the occupation of Norway was Germany...

The C-class were also extensively used in the Mediterranean Sea; the first notable engagement by a ship of the class being's Coventry's particpation in the Battle of Cape Spartivento in 1940. Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a minor engagement between naval forces of the British Royal Navy and the Italian Regia Marina on 27 November 1940, during World War II. The battle ended in a draw, but served to convince the...

In 1941, Calcutta and Carlisle took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan, in which a number of Italian warships were sunk. C-class cruisers also took part in the campaign and evacution of Crete, coming up against heavy German opposition from the air. In 1942, Carlisle took part in the Second Battle of Sirte. The Battle of Cape Matapan was a World War II naval battle fought off the Peleponnesian coast of Greece from March 27 to March 29, 1941. ... The Battle of Crete (German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) began on the morning of May 20, 1941, during World War II, when Germany launched an airborne invasion under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur (Operation Mercury). ... The Second Battle of Sirte was a naval battle between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the World War II. It took place on 22 March 1942, in the Mediterranean, north to the Gulf of Sirte, west of Malta. ...

In 1943, Carlisle was heavily damaged by German aircraft, though did not sink. The damage did, however, knock the ship out of the war.

In 1944, Cape Town provided support to the Normandy Landings, bombarding German positions. Combatants Allied Powers Nazi Germany Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower (Supreme Allied Commander) Bernard Montgomery (land) Bertram Ramsay (sea) Trafford Leigh-Mallory (air) Gerd von Rundstedt (OB WEST) Erwin Rommel (Heeresgruppe B) Strength 326,000 (by June 11)  ? Casualties 53,700 dead, 18,000 missing, 155,000 wounded about 200,000...

Six ships of the C-class were lost during the war: Cairo was sunk in 1942 by the Italian submarine Axum during Operation Pedestal; Calcutta was attacked and sunk by German aircraft during the evacuation of Crete; Calypso was sunk by the Italian submarine Bagnolini in 1940; Coventry was heavily damaged by German aircraft while covering a raid on Tobruk in 1942, forcing Zulu to scuttle her; Curacoa was sunk after colliding with the ocean liner RMS Queen Mary in 1942; and Curlew was sunk by German aircraft during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940. Italian submarine Axum was an Italian 600-Serie Adua class submarine, serving the Regia Marina during World War II. It was named after holy city in Ethiopia. ... British shells fall astern of the Italian light cruiser Muzio Attendolo during the battle Operation Pedestal was an attempt to get vital supplies to the island of Malta during World War II in 1942. ... The Luftwaffe â–¶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... At least three ships of the British Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Zulu, after the African Zulu people: Zulu, launched in 1909, was a Tribal-class destroyer that served in World War I. Zulu, launched in 1937, was a Tribal-class destroyer that served in World War II... RMS Queen Mary was a Cunard Line (then Cunard White Star Line) ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. ...

The survivor

HMS Caroline remains in service as of 2004, servings as HQ and training ship to the Royal Naval Reserve in Northern Ireland, duties that she first started in 1924. Her armament was removed many decades ago, but in nearly every other aspect still resembles the ship that fought at Jutland in 1916, and remains in very good condition. There are plans to bring her to Portsmouth, where she would be berthed next to HMS Warrior as a museum-ship. HMS Caroline is a C-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy (RN). ... The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... This article is about the English city of Portsmouth. ... HMS Warrior (1860) (also known as Vernon III and Oil Fuel Hulk C77) was the worlds first ocean-going iron-hulled armoured battleship. ...

See also