Drawing by G.J.F. Naerebout in Van Zee tot Zee
Part of the County-class heavy cruisers Kent sub class consisting of the Berwick, Kent, Cumberland, Cornwall and Suffolk of the British Royal Navy and the Australia and Canberra of the Royal Australian Navy, preceded by the Hawkins-class and succeeded by the York-class. Laid down by Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow in Furness, England on 18 October 1924, launched on 16 March 1926, commissioned on 23 February 1928, decommissioned in 1946, refitted, rearmed and converted into a gunnery trials ship at Devonport, England between 1949-1951, recommissioned in 1951 and sold to be broken up in 1959.
Displacement 9.750 (standard)-13.450 (full load) tons and as dimensions 190 x 20,80 x 4,95 metres or 630 x 68.3 x 16,3 feet. The machinery consisted of 4 Brown Curtis geared turbines and 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers supplying 80.000 shp allowing a speed of 31.5 knots. With a fuel oil bunker capacity of .3,450 tons was with a speed of 12 knots respectively 31,5 knots the range 13.300 and 3.100 nautical miles. Crew numbered 6790710 (when serving as flagship) men. The armour consisted originally of a 1.375” thick deck, 4.5” thick belt, magazine box protected by 1-4” and after 1940 4 internal boiler room sides. The original armament consisted of 4x2-20,3cm/8 guns, 4x1-10,2cm/4” anti aircraft guns, 2x4-4cm/2pd pom poms, 2x4-0.5” machineguns , 2x4-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes and 2 aircraft for which until 1942 a catapult was available.
