Hawkins-class
An item referred to the magazine Schiffbau dated 1 September 1938 reporting that the British cruiser Effingham was thoroughly modernized. For instance were the 19cm guns replaced by 9-15cm guns of which 7 were mounted amidships. The costs of this modernisation were 40% of the original building costs. The anti aircraft armament was increased from 3x2-10,2cm guns top 4x2-10,2cm guns. The number of torpedo tubes decreased from 5 to 4; probably was the submerged torpedo tube removed. She came in the meantime the flagship of the reserve fleet.
Note
1. Building ordered in December 1915, laid down by Portsmouth Dockyard, England on 6 April 1917, launched on 8 June 1921, commissioned on 2 July 1925, modernized between 1937-1938 including rearmament, replacing the 2 funnels by one and rebuilding the bridge, wrecked off Bodø, Norway 18 May 1940 and destroyed by a torpedo by the HMS Matabele. Part of the Hawkins-class heavy cruisers consisting of the Effingham, Frobisher, Raleigh, Vindictive and Hawkins, succeeded by the County-class. Although it were heavy cruisers was the Hawkins-class in fact an modernized and enlarged Town-class subclass Birmingham light cruiser, In 1915 it became clear that light cruisers were not capable for a sufficient protected of the merchant shipping in distant areas. The heavy cruiser was a combination of a high speed, long range and heavy guns. Originally to be armed with an armament of 23,3cm/9.2” and 15,2cm/6” guns was decided regarded the experience in the First World War to choose for 19,1cm/7.5” guns. The Hawkins-class cruisers were in fact the prototype of what became the Washington 10.000 tons cruiser.
