pennant number heavy cruiser county class royal_navy named english county usually known ship member norfolk sub class norfolk unit county class comprised ships sub classes built portsmouth dockyard keel laid september launched january completed september armed main battery inch guns speed knots mph served initially early 1930s moving late remained outbreak second world war september transferred reinforced search german admiral late took final engagement battleship ended ordered close torpedo crippled german battleship joined searches heavy cruiser admiral hipper august auxiliary cruiser atlantis november march transferred support british forces recently opened war end month japanese fast carrier task force launched indian ocean raid april japanese aircraft spotted sister cornwall route force dive bombers attacked ships sank men rescued day combined crew description maximum metres long overall beam draught displaced long tons standard displacement compliance restriction long tons combat load propelled parsons steam turbines drove screw propellers steam provided oil fired drum water tube boilers turbines rated shaft horsepower produced speed mph ship capacity long tons short tons fuel oil built provided cruising radius nautical miles speed knots mph crew officers enlisted men armed main battery inch guns twin turrets superfiring pairs forward aft built cruiser secondary battery included dual purpose guns single mounts carried pounder anti aircraft guns single mounts armament rounded torpedo tubes mounted quadruple launchers began carry seaplane catapult installed following year allow launch aircraft underway secondary battery overhauled inch guns twin turrets replaced single mounts single pounders replaced twin mounts world war anti aircraft battery strengthened addition guns service history laid portsmouth dockyard september launched january completing fitting work september commissioned royal_navy commissioning flagship 2nd mutiny incident men initially refused assemble duty hour half ship officers restored order unrest troubled mutiny served flagship squadron replaced september assigned february aircraft carrier cruiser cumberland participated exercise test defences singapore hypothetical japanese attack world war start world war september october royal_navy ships sent south american waters pursuit german heavy cruiser admiral attacking british merchant traffic area assigned sister ship cornwall aircraft carrier eagle arrived south_africa december orders proceed port stanley relieve exeter departing received order join hunt admiral left south_africa december company cruiser transit december germans scuttled admiral following battle river plate exeter badly damaged battle admiral escorted britain january returning south american waters search german supply ships february reconnaissance aircraft spotted german supply freighter miles coast brazil promptly scuttled crew arrived scene shortly picked officers thirty crewmen sank prevent navigational hazard following month president panama sent formal complaint british government protesting violation incident underwent short refit returning britain thorough overhaul june set watch french battleship left days later route aircraft carrier ordered return admiral later day arrived june continued monitor french_navy july french submarines attempted intercept able evade attacks high speed manoeuvres july australian cruiser joined july squadron ordered issue ultimatum french fleet surrender interned british control ships french refused fast sloop sent drop depth charges stern disable screws september dry docked 20th arrived sailed day operating indian_ocean november bombarded italian december departed join search heavy cruiser admiral recently sunk british ship british unsuccessful search admiral remained large late ships deployed hunt german battleship north_atlantic escorting convoy received order leave convoy join search nautical miles south location steamed speed heavy seas later night forced reduce knots mph later knots mph encountered destroyer engaging night german battleship gun flashes seen miles away shortly took battle battleships hms king george main battery early engagement warships including sister norfolk closed join attack opened fire range yards poor visibility forced check fire lengthy periods course engagement fired shells main battery final moments battle ordered closer torpedo fired torpedoes hit crippled battleship germans time detonated charges damage inflicted british caused rapidly sink admiral british commander ordered destroyer pick survivors reported boat sighting forced ships break rescue effort picking men aboard aboard king george destroyers begun steam north west return scapa_flow abandoning rescue effort caught rest fleet shortly late night fleet steamed britain detached stop suffered casualties battle indian_ocean late august participated search heavy cruiser admiral hipper eagle light cruiser newcastle left august unable locate german november auxiliary cruiser sent investigate reports german surface ship found november december convoy troop transport ships steamed halifax canada route iraq arriving cape_town december took escort duties convoy diverted bombay arrived december deployed november join search german commerce atlantis attacking allied shipping coast africa admiral formed task force patrol likely locations atlantis december intercepted german supply ship based ultra intelligence german ship pair boats boats tried flee fired torpedoes missed manoeuvres fired stop crew abandoned ship charges left germans boats boats presented threat british pick germans loss command assigned indian_ocean march assigned force commanded admiral battleship carriers formidable received reports impending japanese attack indian_ocean indian ocean raid fleet sea march having encountered hostile forces april withdrew refuel sister ship cornwall sent fuel day cornwall spotted reconnaissance aircraft heavy cruiser tone british cruisers attacked force dive bombers southwest ceylon span minutes hit bombs near misses sank stern bombs detonated ammunition magazine contributed rapid sinking cornwall hit times sank bow minutes later ships men total picked cruiser enterprise destroyers day acclaimed model renowned marine model maker model depicting undergoing refit dry dock portsmouth model held
HMS Dorsetshire (40)