museum ship originally royal_navy light cruiser permanently moored london river_thames operated construction belfast royal_navy ship named capital city northern_ireland town class cruisers began december launched march commissioned early august shortly outbreak second world war belfast initially british naval blockade germany november belfast struck german spent years undergoing extensive repairs belfast returned action november improved firepower radar equipment armour belfast saw action escorting arctic convoys soviet_union december played important role battle north cape assisting destruction german warship june belfast took operation overlord supporting normandy landings june belfast far_east join arriving shortly end second world war belfast saw combat action korean war underwent extensive number overseas commissions followed belfast entered reserve efforts initiated belfast expected scrapping preserve museum ship joint committee established reported june preservation practical government decided preservation prompting formation private campaign preservation efforts trust successful government transferred ship trust july brought london moored river thames near tower bridge london england opened public october belfast branch popular tourist attraction belfast receives quarter million visitors year branch national museum belfast supported media sport income museum commercial activities ship closed visitors following accident november opened design belfast cruiser second town class town class originated admiralty response imperial_japanese_navy class cruiser ton cruiser mounting inch guns speed exceeding knots admiralty requirement called ton cruiser sufficiently armoured withstand direct hit inch shell capable knots mounting inch guns carried aboard enable shipping lanes patrolled wide area class capable anti aircraft defence director naval construction new design evolved lead ship new class ton sister ordered estimates cruisers built design ships built slightly larger ton design admiralty keen improve firepower cruisers match firepower japanese american brooklyn class cruisers armed inch guns admiralty rejected design featuring triple turrets impractical alternative design fitting quadruple turrets rejected effective quadruple turret developed admiralty decided fit triple turrets improved design permit increase deck armour modified design ton edinburgh named belfast sister ship belfast ordered september keel laid december expected cost guns cost aircraft launched day march wife prime minister launch filmed march august belfast fitted underwent sea trials completed belfast overall length feet inches beam feet inches draught feet inches standard displacement sea trials long tons propelled drum oil fired admiralty water tube boilers turning parsons geared steam turbines driving propeller shafts capable knots mph carried long tons fuel oil gave maximum range nautical miles knots mph belfast main armament comprised inch guns triple turrets rate fire rounds gun minute main battery capable maximum rate fire rounds minute secondary armament comprised inch guns twin mounts initial close range anti aircraft armament sixteen pounder guns barrel quadruple vickers machine guns mounted inch torpedo tubes triple mounts depth charges belfast protected inch main armour belt deck armour inches magazines inches machinery spaces inch turrets protected inches armour belfast aviation capability provided catapult launched amphibious launched catapult mounted aft forward superstructure recovered water cranes mounted forward funnel aircraft operated hms belfast flight forward superstructure second world war commissioning prize capture mining repairs belfast sailed portsmouth august commissioned august month outbreak second world war captain captain scott crew assignment home_fleet august belfast took exercise played role german commerce attempting escape atlantic navigating hazardous belfast successfully evaded home_fleet august belfast transferred 18th based scapa_flow islands 18th british effort impose naval blockade germany germany invaded poland following day britain france declared war september morning belfast received message commence hostilities germany september belfast sea scapa_flow battlecruisers hood renown sister ship edinburgh destroyers patrol intended intercept german ships returning norway particular search liner enemy vessels found september belfast took fleet operation recover submarine ship attacked german aircraft suffered damage october belfast left scapa_flow patrol north_sea october belfast intercepted boarded neutral norwegian factory ship sailing company ships october ship sighted swedish merchant ship poor weather intercept board following day boarded norwegian ship listed admiralty suspicious prize crew belfast sailed investigation october intercepted german liner ton miles north west disguised neutral swedish vessel attempting return germany brazil passengers included german admiralty prize rules belfast crew later received prize money october belfast boarded swedish ship sailed prize crew returning harbour night october belfast ships anchored scapa_flow following intelligence reports expected air raid night battleship torpedoed german submarine anchorage morning following sinking belfast left november belfast taken northern patrol reassigned 2nd squadron form independent striking force based november belfast force sortie gunnery exercise struck magnetic leaving broke belfast keel wrecked engine boiler rooms officers men require hospital treatment injuries caused explosion suffered minor injuries man painter 2nd class hospitalised later died head injury having thrown blast gunnery targets exercise released targets instead towed belfast initial repairs initial assessments belfast damage showed little direct damage outer hull causing small hole directly boiler rooms shock explosion caused severe breaking machinery decks causing keel bend upwards inches january belfast decommissioned care maintenance status responsibility crew dispersed vessels june repaired sufficiently sail devonport arriving june command repairs work carried reconstruct strengthen hull armoured belt extended armament updated newer pounder anti aircraft armament improved eighteen guns twin single replacing quadruple inch vickers guns belfast received new fire control radars main secondary anti aircraft guns november radar fit included type set type sets direct main armament type sets secondary guns type sets pounder anti aircraft guns received type general surface warning radar type sets identification friend foe purposes type type air warning electronics suite included type increased introduced hull amidships improve stability provide extra longitudinal strength beam increased draught forward aft displacement risen tons arctic convoys belfast recommissioned devonport november command captain return flagship 10th flying flag rear admiral previously commanded home_fleet destroyer squadron responsible hazardous task escorting arctic convoys soviet_union operating scapa_flow bases iceland radar suite reduced belfast need aerial surveillance aircraft disembarked june belfast spent engaged convoy escort blockade patrol duties october formed covering force german shipping northern norway near aircraft carrier december belfast participated battle occurred arctic night involved strong royal_navy formations force comprised cruisers norfolk sheffield belfast 10th destroyers second force comprised battleship duke york cruiser jamaica destroyers december christmas day nazi_germany class battleship left port northern norway attack convoy bound russia day force encountered prevented attacking convoy forced turn home damaged british cruisers intercepted force sunk combined formations belfast played important role battle flagship 10th encounter coordinated squadron defence convoy turned away convoy admiral belfast radar outside visual range enabling interception duke york day belfast inlet sailing united_kingdom arriving fuel ammunition stores new year day belfast sailed january crew received period leave february saw belfast resume arctic convoy duties march belfast sailed covering force large carrier launched fleet air arm german battleship moored northern norway german navy surviving capital ship dive bombers strike force escorted eighty fighters launched april bombers scored fourteen hits months shot belfast underwent minor repairs april crew received period leave belfast returned carried king pre invasion visit home_fleet invasion headquarters ship flying flag rear admiral support landings british canadian forces gold sectors june belfast left bombardment areas morning prime minister winston_churchill announced intention sea fleet witness invasion opposed supreme allied commander general sir intervention king eventually prevented churchill going invasion begin june bad weather forced hour delay june belfast opened fire german artillery battery suppressing guns site overrun british infantry june belfast supported canadian troops moving inland returned portsmouth june ammunition returned days later night july belfast threatened anchor german motor torpedo boats boats evaded weighing anchor moving smoke screen belfast fired round anger european waters july company monitor hms roberts battleship july sailed fighting france having moved range guns weeks fired rounds inch guns service far_east july captain handed command hms belfast captain dick april belfast underwent refit prepare service japan far_east improved accommodation tropical conditions updated anti aircraft armament fire control order counter expected attacks japanese aircraft belfast mounted thirty pounder guns gun mounts quadruple mounts single mounts mounted fourteen inch removed remainder fitted converted crew accommodation aircraft catapult removed radar fit included type radar set replace type surface warning type air warning set replaced single antenna type set type fitted close range height finding surface warning type set fitted main armament fire direction june war europe end belfast sailed far_east gibraltar malta alexandria sydney time arrived sydney august belfast flagship 2nd cruiser squadron underwent short refit close range armament guns belfast expected join operation downfall japanese surrender august post war service end war belfast remained far_east conducting number cruises ports japan china malaya sailing portsmouth august paid reserve underwent refit turbines opened maintenance received single guns place single pounder recommissioned september returning far_east visited home city belfast arriving october following day october ship company marked march city day belfast took charge silver ship bell gift people belfast sailed hong_kong october join royal_navy arriving late december political situation china chinese civil war moving conclusion flagship 5th belfast headquarters ship april incident british sloop trapped communist belfast remained hong_kong sailing singapore january underwent minor refit january march june joined summer cruise june belfast visiting japan north korean forces crossed 38th parallel starting korean war korean war outbreak korean war belfast united_nations naval forces originally navy task force belfast detached order operate independently july july early august belfast undertook coastal patrols based japan july belfast supported troops fighting accompanied uss day belfast fired accurate round bombardment inch guns praised american admiral straight shooting ship august sailed short needed refit set sail far east arrived january belfast mounted number coastal patrols bombarded variety targets june arrived singapore arriving patrol august september belfast provided anti aircraft cover salvage operation recover crashed enemy jet fighter conducted patrols receiving month leave operations returning action december belfast continued coastal patrol duties july belfast hit enemy fire engaging artillery battery island shell struck forward compartment killing british sailor chinese origin wounding chinese ratings time belfast hit enemy fire korean service september belfast relieved town class cruisers sailed steamed miles combat zone fired rounds inch guns korean war paid chatham november entered reserve devonport december final commissions reserve belfast future uncertain post war defence cuts manpower intensive cruisers excessively costly operate march decision taken belfast work began january changes included replacing inch guns modern weapons calibre protecting key parts ship nuclear biological chemical attack consideration meant bridge creating sided superstructure radically altered appearance crew accommodation improved masts replaced masts timber replaced steel quarterdeck belfast recommissioned devonport close range armament twin gun close range fire direction similarly close range blind fire directors fitted type radar radar fit included type retained main armament direction type height finding surface warning type air warning surface warning order save weight torpedo armament removed belfast arrived singapore december spent sea exercise calling ports hong_kong borneo india ceylon sri_lanka australia philippines japan january belfast recommissioned command captain final foreign commission belfast joined number exercises far_east december provided british guard honour independence ceremony ship left singapore march sailing east hong_kong guam san_francisco seattle british_columbia panama trinidad arrived portsmouth june recommissioned july final visit belfast november paying reserve february july belfast recommissioned time crew number flying flag rear admiral belfast sailed gibraltar company sixteen week exercise mediterranean august considered commission judged restore confidence image new undergone amalgamation reserve preservation efforts belfast returned devonport august underwent short refit prepare paying reserve occurred december january parts ship power systems reactivated accommodation ship taking duties moored portsmouth lay creek britain national museum twentieth century conflict interested preserving inch turret turret represent number classes cruiser disappearing service complement museum pair british inch naval guns april museum staff visited crown colony class cruiser moored time following visit possibility raised preserving entire ship severely deteriorated attention turned possibility saving belfast joint committee established reported june scheme practical economic early government decided preservation belfast reduced disposal await scrapping following government refusal private trust formed campaign ship preservation established chairman rear admiral sir captain belfast january july member parliament winchester addressed described belfast wonderful state preservation saving nation represented case opportunity mps spoke support south served gunner aboard belfast present sinking normandy landings speaking government secretary navy said belfast historic ships navy years prevent stripping ship equipment far advanced halted agree postpone decision scrapping belfast allow trust formal proposal following trust efforts government agreed hand belfast trustees july vice admiral sir director press conference august trust announced operation plan bring belfast london towed portsmouth london fitted museum opened public day october date significant belfast naval vessel saved nation lord nelson flagship battle longer royal_navy granted special allow continue fly white ensign museum ship opening received won come britain trophy support ship restoration received individuals royal_navy commercial businesses example provided dummy bread display ship areas including admiral bridge forward boiler engine rooms restored fitted year saw refurbishment ship operations room team return belfast twin mounts fire directors december belfast received visitors belfast successors british_army year royal naval amateur radio society restored ship working order present financial position marginal sought permission merge trust museum january secretary state education science accepted proposal stating hms belfast unique demonstration important phase history technology ship transferred museum march branch having acquired october formed reunite members ship company seeks record oral history interviews crewmen preservation brought london belfast twice ship long term preservation docked june belfast towed portsmouth time sea years required certificate maritime dock entire hull cleaned hull plates inspected survey carried expected require tow portsmouth delayed bad weather arrived day late intended arrive june fifth anniversary normandy landings following maintenance work belfast camouflage scheme officially known admiralty camouflage type worn november july objected conflict camouflage reflects majority active second world war service present configuration result ship extended refit january establishment media sport national historic ships belfast listed ceremony held aboard belfast mark anniversary end war europe veterans arctic convoys attendance receive medals russian ambassador ceremony announced restoration ship new masts manufactured shipyard near saint_petersburg production masts replace originals supported number russian businesses reported cost restoration masts involved removing fittings masts allowing individually restored old masts cut sections new masts erected original fittings replaced october new masts dedicated ceremony attended veterans officials russian embassy government interpretation belfast opened public visitors limited upper decks forward superstructure decks open public access ship walkway connects quarterdeck south bank river_thames divides ship broad sections life board ship focuses experience serving sea restored compartments populated dressed figures illustrate crew living conditions ship facilities sick bay laundry chapel mess decks school youth groups able stay onboard belfast overnight sleeping restored 1950s mess deck second section inner workings waterline protected ship armoured belt contains core mechanical electrical communication systems engine boiler rooms compartments include station housing ship mechanical computer forward steering position belfast inch shell rooms magazines section action stations includes upper deck forward superstructure ship armament fire control command facilities areas open public include operations room admiral bridge gun direction platform areas operations room restored appearance exercise large british australian american joint exercise held included interactive audio visual plotting table july interior turret inch turret audio visual atmospheric effects seeking evoke experience gunner battle north cape emphasise range ship armament forward inch guns turrets aimed london gateway service area motorway miles away outskirts london inch gun mount shell kept working order blank firing demonstrations enactment group addition areas ship open visitors compartments fitted dedicated exhibition space permanent exhibitions include hms belfast war peace life sea cost admission includes audio guide headquarters prestigious central london location means frequently vessels berth alongside october belfast hosted naming ceremony lighthouse tender queen prince philip attendance accident november suffered minor injuries section connected ship collapsed renovation works ship closed visitors following accident investigation later established collapse caused cutting structure refurbishment work belfast opened closure delayed construction new storey pavilion replace belfast existing retail building structure planning permission received october provides ground floor café shop area rooftop bar previously expected complete summer structure opened april
HMS Belfast (C35)