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HMS London (69)
Encyclopedia
HMS London (C-69) was a member of the second group of the County class
heavy cruiser
of the Royal Navy
. She and her sisters; Sussex, Shropshire, and Devonshire differed from the earlier group of Counties, (known as the Kent
class), by having a smaller forward superstructure, which was positioned slightly further aft, and next to no armour plating.
London was laid down by HM Dockyard at Portsmouth
on 23 February 1926, launched on 14 September 1927 and completed on 31 January 1929. London served with the 1st Cruiser Squadron until March 1939, and was the flagship of Admiral Max Horton during his time in command of 1st Cruisers. Her flag captain during this time was Henry Harwood
. London and her sister ship Shropshire facilitated the evacuation of thousands of civilians from Barcelona
during the Spanish Civil War
. From March 1939 she was under reconstruction at the Royal Dockyard Chatham, and was much altered in appearance. Replacement of her machinery was considered, but later abandoned. She was given a new superstructure above the main deck and in many ways resembled a Colony class
light cruiser. Her single 4" gun mounts were changed to twin mounts, several 20mm AA guns, and radar were added. In addition she was fitted with a 3½" cemented armoured belt, 8' deep down from the main armoured deck which covered the machinery spaces. The reconstruction work was finally completed in March 1941. The refit was planned to be implemented to other ships of the County Class
but due to the war in full swing no other ships were reconstructed.
London was involved in the pursuit of the German
battleship
Bismarck
in May 1941. During this time at sea many cracks appeared in her upper deck and hull, due to the weight of the new superstructure causing overstresses. She spent time in the dockyard in the summer of 1941 having her upperdecks strenghtened and was ready for sea in the fall. London then spent from October 1941 to November 1942 in the North Atlantic on convoy protection duties in the company of several US Navy warships. This time of operations in the heavy North Atlantic seas caused hull cracks and popped rivets in her lower hull resulting in the ship again going into the dry-dock in December 1942 for strenghthening of the hull, fitting of newer and more refined radar, and more light anti-aircraft guns. This work was not finished until May 1943, with the ship then ready for sea in July. After sea trials and ammunition onloading she was then assigned to operate off the South Africa
n coast, and then to the Indian Ocean Fleet for the rest of the war.
. In the spring of 1949 the frigate
Amethyst became trapped by advancing Communist Chinese forces up the Yellow River
. London sailed up the river as a show of strength in an attempt to help free the frigate. The Communist forces were not intimidated and took the cruiser under fire. London returned fire with her 8" and 4" guns, firing several hundred rounds, but was hit several times. Her two forward 8" turrets and "X" turret aft were damaged and made inoperable, and her bridge sustained several hits. London retreated down river and returned to Hong Kong
for repairs which lasted until the end of July. London remained in Chinese waters until August 1949 when she was relieved by HMS Kenya (14) and returned to the UK in the autumn of 1949. London was surveyed to determine if an extensive repair and refit for further service was feasible, but the condition of her machinery (dating back to 1928 and not replaced during her rebuild in the 30's) made her an expensive proposition. She was retired to reserve in the River Fal
until sold for scrapping in 1950.
County class cruiser
The County class was a class of heavy cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the years between the First and Second World Wars. They were the first post-war cruiser construction for the Royal Navy and were designed within the limits of the Washington Naval Conference of 1922...
heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. She and her sisters; Sussex, Shropshire, and Devonshire differed from the earlier group of Counties, (known as the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
class), by having a smaller forward superstructure, which was positioned slightly further aft, and next to no armour plating.
Interwar career and rebuild
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 23 February 1926, launched on 14 September 1927 and completed on 31 January 1929. London served with the 1st Cruiser Squadron until March 1939, and was the flagship of Admiral Max Horton during his time in command of 1st Cruisers. Her flag captain during this time was Henry Harwood
Henry Harwood
Admiral Sir Henry Harwood Harwood, KCB, OBE , was a British naval officer who won fame in the Battle of the River Plate.-Early life:...
. London and her sister ship Shropshire facilitated the evacuation of thousands of civilians from Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. From March 1939 she was under reconstruction at the Royal Dockyard Chatham, and was much altered in appearance. Replacement of her machinery was considered, but later abandoned. She was given a new superstructure above the main deck and in many ways resembled a Colony class
Colony class
Colony class may refer to:* Colony class frigate, 21 frigates of the US Tacoma class loaned to the Royal Navy in World War II* Crown Colony class, 11 light cruisers of the Royal Navy launched in the 1930s...
light cruiser. Her single 4" gun mounts were changed to twin mounts, several 20mm AA guns, and radar were added. In addition she was fitted with a 3½" cemented armoured belt, 8' deep down from the main armoured deck which covered the machinery spaces. The reconstruction work was finally completed in March 1941. The refit was planned to be implemented to other ships of the County Class
County class
County class may refer to:*County class destroyer, a post–World War II class of guided missile destroyers*County class cruiser, pre–World War II class of heavy cruiser*GWR 1000 Class or County class of Great Western Railway locomotives, built 1945–1947...
but due to the war in full swing no other ships were reconstructed.
The Atlantic, South Africa and the Arctic
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
in May 1941. During this time at sea many cracks appeared in her upper deck and hull, due to the weight of the new superstructure causing overstresses. She spent time in the dockyard in the summer of 1941 having her upperdecks strenghtened and was ready for sea in the fall. London then spent from October 1941 to November 1942 in the North Atlantic on convoy protection duties in the company of several US Navy warships. This time of operations in the heavy North Atlantic seas caused hull cracks and popped rivets in her lower hull resulting in the ship again going into the dry-dock in December 1942 for strenghthening of the hull, fitting of newer and more refined radar, and more light anti-aircraft guns. This work was not finished until May 1943, with the ship then ready for sea in July. After sea trials and ammunition onloading she was then assigned to operate off the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n coast, and then to the Indian Ocean Fleet for the rest of the war.
Postwar, the Amethyst incident, and decommisioning
Following WW2 and being the Royal Navy's only modernized 8" gun cruiser, London was refitted for further service in early 1946 to allow her to serve in the Post War Fleet. Following the refit she sailed for the far east in 1946 and served there for the next three years on the China StationChina Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
. In the spring of 1949 the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Amethyst became trapped by advancing Communist Chinese forces up the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
. London sailed up the river as a show of strength in an attempt to help free the frigate. The Communist forces were not intimidated and took the cruiser under fire. London returned fire with her 8" and 4" guns, firing several hundred rounds, but was hit several times. Her two forward 8" turrets and "X" turret aft were damaged and made inoperable, and her bridge sustained several hits. London retreated down river and returned to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for repairs which lasted until the end of July. London remained in Chinese waters until August 1949 when she was relieved by HMS Kenya (14) and returned to the UK in the autumn of 1949. London was surveyed to determine if an extensive repair and refit for further service was feasible, but the condition of her machinery (dating back to 1928 and not replaced during her rebuild in the 30's) made her an expensive proposition. She was retired to reserve in the River Fal
River Fal
The River Fal flows through Cornwall, United Kingdom, rising on the Goss Moor and reaching the English Channel at Falmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles of Pendennis and St Mawes as well as Trelissick Garden. The River Fal separates the Roseland peninsula from the rest of...
until sold for scrapping in 1950.
Further reading
- Two Red Stripes: A Naval Surgeon at War, R Ransome Wallis, Ian Allen Ltd, ISBN 0-7110-0461-7