Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire (1926) 1943-1955

HMAS Shropshire ready for departure from Sydney, Australia to be broken up

Name photographer unknown/Anefo, 1954. Beeldbank Nationaal Archief. CC-BySa

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Heavy cruiser of the London-class which was a subclass of the County-class cruisers. Her building by the British Royal navy was ordered on 17 March 1926, laid down at the shipyard of William Beardmore and Company, Dalmuir, Scotland on 24 February 1927, launched on 5 July 1928, completed on 12 September 1929, commissioned on 24 September in the Royal British Navy (pennants 73,later 83 and 96), decommissioned on 23 December 1942, commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy on 20 April 1943, decommissioned on 10 November 1949, sold for 82.500 pounds stirling to Thomas ward Limited, Sheffield, England on 16 July 1954. Departed Sydney while towed by the Dutch tug Oostzee towards Dalmuir, Scotland, after arrival started on 20 January 1955 which was later completed at Troon starting on 19 September.

With a displacement of 9.750 (standard)-13.315 (full load) tons were her dimensions 193 x 20 x 6,4 metres or 633’x 66’x 21’. The Parsons geared turbines and 8 3-dums Admiralty boilers delivered 80.000 shp allowing a speed of 32 knots with a range of 10.862 (speed 12 knots)-4.715 (speed 31,5 knots) nautical miles with the bunker capacity of 3.210 tons of fuel oil. She was also armoured consisting of a 11cm/4.5” thick belt while the internal boiler room sides were protected by 10cm/4” with further more a 3,49cm/1.375” thick deck, sides of turrets and bulkheads with a thickness of 2,5cm/1” and the magazine box protected by 2,5-10,2cm/1-4” thick armour. The armament while in Australian service consisted in 1945-1946 of 4x2-20,3cm/8” guns, 4-10,16cm/4” quick firing guns, 3x3pd eight barrel pom poms,2-2cm/0.8” dual guns and 15x1-4cm/1.5”guns.

The Dutch newspaper Het vrije volk dated 10 November 1954 reported the arrival of the Oostzee captain M.A. Engels and Shropshire in Singapore after a voyage of 31 days from Sydney, Australia. The latter ship did not have a rudder anymore. The Dutch captain expected to arrival within 90 days at England although he feared the winter gales in the Bay of Biscay and on the Atlantic Ocean. The intention was to use the Suez Canal. The average speed underway had been a very satisfying 6 miles. After a voyage of more as 3 months arrived she finally at England. The edition dated 21 January 1955 reported that a day earlier the Oostzee of L. Smit&Co.‘s Internationale Sleepdienst steamed up the Clyde with her tow.