Cornwall displaced 9,850 long tons (10,010 t) at standard load and 13,520 long tons (13,740 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 630 feet (192.0 m), a beam of 68 feet 5 inches (20.9 m) and a draught of 20 feet 6 inches (6.2 m). She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines, driving four shafts, which developed a total of 80,000 shaft horsepower (60,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph). Steam for the turbines was provided by eight Admiralty 3-drum boilers. Cornwall carried a maximum of 3,425 long tons (3,480 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 13,300 nautical miles (24,600 km; 15,300 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). The ship's complement was 784 officers and men.[1]
Cornwall was only lightly protected with little more than a single inch of plating protecting vital machinery. Her magazines were the exception and were protected by 2–4.375 inches (50.8–111.1 mm) of armour. Space and weight was reserved for one aircraft catapult and its seaplane, but they were not fitted until after she was completed.[3]
In July 1936, Cornwall returned home to begin a major refit, which included a 4.5-inch (114 mm) Krupp cemented armour belt abreast the engine and boiler rooms as well as the dynamo room and the fire control transmitting station. This belt extended 6 feet (1.8 m) down from the lower deck. Four inches of armour were also added to protect the sides of the boiler room fan compartments. A hangar for her aircraft was added and a new, more powerful catapult was installed. The ship's director was moved to the roof of the hangar and a new power-operated director-control tower was installed in its original location. Her single four-inch AA guns were replaced with twin-gun mounts for Mark XVI guns of the same calibre. Two octuple-barrel 2-pounder mounts were added abreast the searchlight tower and the original 2-pounder guns were removed. The changes raised the ship's displacement by 107 long tons (109 t) and cost an estimated £215,000.[7] After the refit was completed in December 1937, the ship was assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron before rejoining the 5th CS in 1939.[8]
On 5 October 1939, a month after the start of World War II, she was assigned to Force I to hunt for German commerce raiders in the Indian Ocean and spent most of the rest of the year there. Cornwall was then transferred to the South Atlantic for convoy escort duties.[8] On 13 September 1940, the ship rendezvoused with a convoy that was carrying troops intended to capture Dakar from the Vichy French, but was detached to intercept the Vichy French light cruiserPrimauguet that was escorting an oil tanker to Libreville, French Equatorial Africa, five days later and forced them to return to Casablanca in French Morocco. She then returned to the Indian Ocean and sank the German commerce raider Pinguin on 8 May 1941. Cornwall rescued 3 officers, 57 ratings and 22 prisoners after the battle.[9]
Dorsetshire (background) and Cornwall under air attack by Japanese aircraft, 5 April 1942
After the start of the Pacific War on 7 December, the ship began escorting convoys across the Indian Ocean,[8] examples being Convoy JS.1 from Colombo, Ceylon, to the Dutch East Indies in late January–early February 1942[10] and the troop Convoy MS. 5 to Australia in early March. Later that month, she was assigned to the fast Force A of the Eastern Fleet.[11] On 2 April, Cornwall and her half sister, Dorsetshire, were detached from the fleet, Dorsetshire to resume an interrupted refit and Cornwall to escort convoy SU-4 (composed of the U.S. Army transport USAT Willard A. Holbrook and Australian transport MV Duntroon) to Australia and the aircraft carrierHermes to Trincomalee in Ceylon for repairs. On 4 April, the Japanese fleet was spotted and the two cruisers left harbour and, after a hurried refuelling at sea, set out for Addu Atoll shortly after midnight. The following day, the two cruisers were sighted by a spotter plane from the Japanese cruiser Tone about 200 miles (370 km) south-west of Ceylon.[12]
As part of the engagement known as the Easter Sunday Raid, a wave of Aichi D3A dive bombers took off from three Japanese carriers to attack Cornwall and Dorsetshire, 320 kilometres (170 nmi; 200 mi) south-west of Ceylon, and sank the two ships. British losses were 424 men killed; 1,122 survivors spent thirty hours in the water before being rescued by the light cruiser Enterprise and two destroyers.[13]
Campbell, N.J.M. (1980). "Great Britain". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books. pp. 2–85. ISBN0-8317-0303-2.
Gill, G. Hermon (1957). "Chapter 15: ABDA and ANZAC" (PDF). Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Two Navy: Volume I: The Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942. Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial. pp. 513–72. OCLC 848228.
Gill, G. Hermon (1968). "Chapter 1 – Shaping Japan's Perimeter". Australia in the War of 1939–1945: Series Two Navy: Volume II: The Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945(PDF). Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial. pp. 1–24.
Raven, Alan & Roberts, John (1980). British Cruisers of World War Two. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0-87021-922-7.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-119-2.
cornwall, other, ships, with, same, name, cornwall, cornwall, pennant, number, county, class, heavy, cruiser, kent, class, built, royal, navy, 1920s, ship, spent, most, world, career, assigned, china, station, shortly, after, began, august, 1939, assigned, sea. For other ships with the same name see HMS Cornwall HMS Cornwall pennant number 56 was a County class heavy cruiser of the Kent sub class built for the Royal Navy in the mid 1920s The ship spent most of her pre World War II career assigned to the China Station Shortly after the war began in August 1939 she was assigned to search for German commerce raiders in the Indian Ocean Cornwall was transferred to the South Atlantic in late 1939 where she escorted convoys before returning to the Indian Ocean in 1941 She then sank the German auxiliary cruiser Pinguin in May After the start of the Pacific War in December 1941 she began escorting convoys until she was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in March 1942 The ship was sunk on 5 April by dive bombers from three Japanese aircraft carriers during the Indian Ocean Raid Cornwall at anchor 1929HistoryUnited KingdomNameCornwallNamesakeCornwallBuilderDevonport Dockyard Plymouth Laid down9 October 1924Launched11 March 1926Completed8 May 1928IdentificationPennant number 56FateSunk by Japanese carrier aircraft 5 April 1942General characteristics as built Class and typeCounty class heavy cruiserDisplacement9 850 long tons 10 010 t standard 13 520 long tons 13 740 t deep load Length630 ft 192 0 m Beam68 ft 5 in 20 9 m Draught20 ft 6 in 6 2 m Installed power80 000 shp 60 000 kW Propulsion4 shafts Parsons geared steam turbines 8 Admiralty 3 drum water tube boilersSpeed31 5 knots 58 3 km h 36 2 mph Range13 300 nmi 24 600 km 15 300 mi at 12 knots 22 km h 14 mph Complement784Armament4 twin 8 inch 203 mm guns 4 single QF 4 inch 102 mm Mk V anti aircraft AA guns 4 single 2 pounder 40 mm AA guns 2 quadruple 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubesArmourBelt 1 in 25 mm Decks 1 375 1 5 in 34 9 38 1 mm Barbettes 1 in 25 mm Turrets 1 in 25 mm Bulkheads 1 in 25 mm Magazines 2 4 375 in 50 8 111 1 mm Contents 1 Description 2 Construction and career 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External linksDescription EditCornwall displaced 9 850 long tons 10 010 t at standard load and 13 520 long tons 13 740 t at deep load The ship had an overall length of 630 feet 192 0 m a beam of 68 feet 5 inches 20 9 m and a draught of 20 feet 6 inches 6 2 m She was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines driving four shafts which developed a total of 80 000 shaft horsepower 60 000 kW and gave a maximum speed of 31 5 knots 58 3 km h 36 2 mph Steam for the turbines was provided by eight Admiralty 3 drum boilers Cornwall carried a maximum of 3 425 long tons 3 480 t of fuel oil that gave her a range of 13 300 nautical miles 24 600 km 15 300 mi at 12 knots 22 km h 14 mph The ship s complement was 784 officers and men 1 The ship mounted eight 50 calibre 8 inch 203 mm guns in four twin gun turrets Her secondary armament consisted of four QF 4 inch 102 mm Mk V anti aircraft AA guns in single mounts Cornwall mounted four single 2 pounder 40 mm light AA guns pom poms The ship carried two quadruple torpedo tube above water mounts for 21 inch 533 mm torpedoes 2 Cornwall was only lightly protected with little more than a single inch of plating protecting vital machinery Her magazines were the exception and were protected by 2 4 375 inches 50 8 111 1 mm of armour Space and weight was reserved for one aircraft catapult and its seaplane but they were not fitted until after she was completed 3 Construction and career EditCornwall the fifth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy 4 was named after the eponymous county The ship was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on 9 October 1924 and was launched on 11 March 1926 Completed on 6 December 1927 she was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron CS on the China Station and spent the bulk of the interbellum period there 5 In 1929 30 she received a High Angle Control System used to direct her anti aircraft guns and a catapult was fitted the following year Two quadruple Vickers 50 calibre 12 7 mm Mark III machine guns were added in 1934 6 In July 1936 Cornwall returned home to begin a major refit which included a 4 5 inch 114 mm Krupp cemented armour belt abreast the engine and boiler rooms as well as the dynamo room and the fire control transmitting station This belt extended 6 feet 1 8 m down from the lower deck Four inches of armour were also added to protect the sides of the boiler room fan compartments A hangar for her aircraft was added and a new more powerful catapult was installed The ship s director was moved to the roof of the hangar and a new power operated director control tower was installed in its original location Her single four inch AA guns were replaced with twin gun mounts for Mark XVI guns of the same calibre Two octuple barrel 2 pounder mounts were added abreast the searchlight tower and the original 2 pounder guns were removed The changes raised the ship s displacement by 107 long tons 109 t and cost an estimated 215 000 7 After the refit was completed in December 1937 the ship was assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron before rejoining the 5th CS in 1939 8 On 5 October 1939 a month after the start of World War II she was assigned to Force I to hunt for German commerce raiders in the Indian Ocean and spent most of the rest of the year there Cornwall was then transferred to the South Atlantic for convoy escort duties 8 On 13 September 1940 the ship rendezvoused with a convoy that was carrying troops intended to capture Dakar from the Vichy French but was detached to intercept the Vichy French light cruiser Primauguet that was escorting an oil tanker to Libreville French Equatorial Africa five days later and forced them to return to Casablanca in French Morocco She then returned to the Indian Ocean and sank the German commerce raider Pinguin on 8 May 1941 Cornwall rescued 3 officers 57 ratings and 22 prisoners after the battle 9 nbsp Dorsetshire background and Cornwall under air attack by Japanese aircraft 5 April 1942After the start of the Pacific War on 7 December the ship began escorting convoys across the Indian Ocean 8 examples being Convoy JS 1 from Colombo Ceylon to the Dutch East Indies in late January early February 1942 10 and the troop Convoy MS 5 to Australia in early March Later that month she was assigned to the fast Force A of the Eastern Fleet 11 On 2 April Cornwall and her half sister Dorsetshire were detached from the fleet Dorsetshire to resume an interrupted refit and Cornwall to escort convoy SU 4 composed of the U S Army transport USAT Willard A Holbrook and Australian transport MV Duntroon to Australia and the aircraft carrier Hermes to Trincomalee in Ceylon for repairs On 4 April the Japanese fleet was spotted and the two cruisers left harbour and after a hurried refuelling at sea set out for Addu Atoll shortly after midnight The following day the two cruisers were sighted by a spotter plane from the Japanese cruiser Tone about 200 miles 370 km south west of Ceylon 12 As part of the engagement known as the Easter Sunday Raid a wave of Aichi D3A dive bombers took off from three Japanese carriers to attack Cornwall and Dorsetshire 320 kilometres 170 nmi 200 mi south west of Ceylon and sank the two ships British losses were 424 men killed 1 122 survivors spent thirty hours in the water before being rescued by the light cruiser Enterprise and two destroyers 13 References Edit Raven and Roberts pp 123 412 13 Raven and Roberts p 412 Raven and Roberts pp 251 412 Colledge p 79 Whitley pp 83 86 Raven and Roberts p 251 Raven and Roberts pp 244 251 a b c Whitley p 86 Rohwer pp 38 40 42 72 Gill 1957 p 563 Rohwer p 148 Gill 1968 pp 16 18 Gill 1968 p 19Bibliography EditCampbell N J M 1980 Great Britain In Chesneau Roger ed Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1922 1946 New York Mayflower Books pp 2 85 ISBN 0 8317 0303 2 Colledge J J Warlow Ben 2006 1969 Ships of the Royal Navy The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy Rev ed London Chatham Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 281 8 Dimbleby Ken 1984 Turns of Fate The Drama of HMS Cornwall 1939 1942 London William Kimber ISBN 0 7183 0523 X Friedman Norman 2010 British Cruisers Two World Wars and After Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 59114 078 8 Gill G Hermon 1957 Chapter 15 ABDA and ANZAC PDF Australia in the War of 1939 1945 Series Two Navy Volume I The Royal Australian Navy 1939 1942 Canberra Australia Australian War Memorial pp 513 72 OCLC 848228 Gill G Hermon 1968 Chapter 1 Shaping Japan s Perimeter Australia in the War of 1939 1945 Series Two Navy Volume II The Royal Australian Navy 1942 1945 PDF Canberra Australia Australian War Memorial pp 1 24 Raven Alan amp Roberts John 1980 British Cruisers of World War Two Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 922 7 Rohwer Jurgen 2005 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 The Naval History of World War Two Third Revised ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 119 2 Whitley M J 1995 Cruisers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia London Cassell ISBN 1 86019 874 0 External links Edit nbsp Cornwall portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS Cornwall 56 HMS Cornwall at U boat net IWM Interview with survivor Robert Crick IWM Interview with survivor John Maule IWM Interview with survivor Harold Farmer IWM Interview with survivor Roger Collett IWM Interview with survivor Patrick Fitz IWM Interview with survivor Edwin Drew IWM Interview with survivor Benjamin Fuller 1 54 N 77 54 E 1 900 N 77 900 E 1 900 77 900 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Cornwall 56 amp oldid 1091768803, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
