HMS Liverpool
Contents
Description
The Town-class, HMS Liverpool (C11), 1952 is a squadron rank IV British light cruiser with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB) and 5.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Red Skies".
General info
Survivability and armour
Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.
Mobility
Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 70 | 30 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 60 | 26 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Armament
Primary armament
Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.
Secondary armament
Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control Select secondary weapon. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.
Anti-aircraft armament
An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select anti-aircraft weapons. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.
Additional armament
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Usage in battles
Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).
Pros and cons
Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".
Pros:
Cons:
History
After completing Leander class and Arethusa class cruisers in the early 1930s, the Royal Navy aimed to build more similar cruisers to meet its target of fifty cruisers. The problem was, by 1933, the foreign navies started developing larger cruisers: Japan was constructing Mogami class weighing more than 11000 tons, and the United States had decided to build 10000-ton Brooklyn class, putting the smaller Leander and Arethusa at a significant disadvantage.
To counter the new cruisers from other leading fleets, the Admiralty revised the new design to increase displacement for twelve 6inch guns and extra protection against the 8inch shells[1]. The design was crystallized in 1934 as “Town” class cruisers named after British cities. Ten ships of this class were laid down and completed from 1935 to 1939, including the one original variant class (Southampton class) and two modified variants (1935 Programme Cruisers & Edinburgh class).
HMS Liverpool (C11) was one of three ships belongs to 1935 Programme Cruisers. The overall configure this group is similar to the Southampton class, but extra armor was added to main gun turrets to 4inch (compared to 2inch on Southampton class) and deck over the machinery to increase deck protection at 1/4 inch (1 inch on Gloucester). Furthermore, an additional director control tower was placed aft to separate fire control for main guns and secondary armaments[2]. These modifications increase the total displacement from 9110 tons to 9600 tons. For keeping the stability, the beam of the cruiser was increased by 0.8 inches to balance the increasing weight. Besides, the propulsion power was raised from 75,000 shp on the Southampton class to 82,000 shp[3].
Liverpool was ordered on 11th Nov 1935 at Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. The ship was laid down on 17 Feb 1936, and launched on 24 Mar 1937[4]. During her trials, Liverpool lost all engine power for short periods on two occasions caused by water in fuel pump[2], delaying her commission to 2 Nov 1938.
All three cruisers of the 1935 Programme were initially deployed to East Indies Station. When the war broke out, she escorted British convoys on the Indian Ocean. On November 14th, 1939, Liverpool transferred to Hong Kong to join the 5th Cruiser Squadron to trade defense and intercept German blockade runners in Eastern water. On January 21st, 1940, she intercepted Japanese ocean liner Asama Maru, which carried German adults suitable for military service, just 35 nautical miles off the Japanese coast at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula. The liner refused to stop until Liverpool fired a blank shell by her 3pdr saluting gun and took 21 German nationals to her board. The Japanese government officially protested the action, for this is a violation of Japanese neutrality. As a result, nine of the Germans were returned, while the Japanese government promised not to offer passage as a way home for German citizens overseas[5].
HMS Liverpool and her sister ship Gloucester transferred to Mediterranean in May 1940. After Italy declared war on 10th June 1940, Liverpool and Gloucester bombed Tobruk on 12th June, sunk an armed trawler, Giovanni Bert[6].
On 27th June 1940, three Italian destroyers-Espero, Zeffiro, and Ostro-departed Taranto with supplies to Tobruk. British scout planes spotted them around noon the next day. HMS Liverpool, part of the 7th Cruiser Squadron (7CS), covering British convoy by that moment, was ordered to alter course to intercept. At local time 1831 hours, Liverpool firstly spotted the Italian destroyers and engaged with her main guns[6].
These high-speed (credited with 37 knots) destroyers proved challenging targets with smoke screens and falling visibility at dusk. The British cruisers did not score a hit until 1930 hours, when Espero was damaged and slowed by a 6inch shell. The Italian destroyer bravely turned against the British fleet to cover her fellows by sacrificing herself. Espero was immobilized in 2000 hours and sunk 40 minutes later. The British only picked up fifty survivors.
The 7CS suffered a minor loss. With no casualty and only Liverpool was hit by one 4.7inch shell. The shell hit her armor belt, knocking off a chip of armor and causing some splinters[1].
On 9 July 1940, HMS Liverpool, together with 7CS, participated the first fleet battle between the Royal Navy and Regia Marina, the Battle of Punta Stilo, which is result of convoy escorts from both sides. However, limited by her main guns’ horizontal range, Liverpool achieved no hit when Italian fleet was forced to retreat.
In the end of July, a single 250lb bomb hit HMS Liverpool from the Italian Air Force during a high-level attack around 1420 hours on 29th July in the following month. The bomb hit the bridge's front deck, penetrated 'B' gun deck and the forecastle deck, and stopped in the senior petty officer's pantry on the upper deck[7]. Fortunately, the fuse in the bomb's tail was damaged when it penetrated the bridge structure and was not functional. On 30th July, Liverpool reached Alexandria, where her crews fixed up small holes with wood. Then, on 5th August, the cruiser backed to patrol.
Liverpool stayed on her station for convoys escorts, and fleet operations until 14th October 1940. At the local time around 1855 hours, on her way to Alexandria with Mediterranean Fleet, Liverpool was attacked by the Italian Air Force and hit by an aircraft torpedo at the fore-end of her starboard side, damaging the aviation fuel tank in the forward section. The volatile aviation fuel leaked started to accumulate in the fore storage areas; then, an electrical failure ignited the vapor and detonate the aviation fuel tank containing 5,700 gallons of fuel at 1920[7]. The explosion caused a huge flame to envelop the forward sections of Liverpool and blown away the 'A' turret roof. Fortunately, the forward magazine had been flooded to prevent the further explosion. However, the bow's construction was severely damaged by the blast and beginning to separate from the ship. Two destroyers HMS Decoy and HMS Hereward, came to assist the firefighting efforts, and cruiser HMS Orion, covered by two anti-air cruisers, tried to tow Liverpool back to Alexandria. On the following day, the fire on broad was under control. The hanging bow of the cruiser acted as a rudder until it broke away at 1435 on 15th October[4]. On 16th October, Liverpool and her escorts finally reached Alexandria.
The damage to Liverpool was serious. She lost her entire bow in front of the ‘A’ turret; the ‘A’ turret itself needed to replace the gunhouse and repair the turret ring (and a new roof); besides, the electrical and engineering equipment required to either repair or replace. Resources in Alexandria were far from enough to repair such damage, while the routine to Gibraltar or the British Isles was too dangerous for the badly damaged cruiser. Luckily, as the United States agreed to repair British vessels, Liverpool could travel east and receive the permanent repairs at U.S. harbors. Even so, Liverpool would need a temporary bow to make the long voyage. Unfortunately, the limited resource and local workforce delayed the application of the false bow. In the end, it took six months to collect enough material and place a temporary bow for Liverpool to begin sail East on 30th April 1941. The cruiser steamed via Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Manila, and Honolulu. Finally, on 16th June 1941, she reached her destination at Mare Island, California, where she would receive repairs in the following four months. Once the work was finished in October, she departed for the British Isles through Panama Canal. Liverpool arrived in the U.K. in December 1941, and took a refit to stall a series of radar systems, including surface warning radar (Type 273), air warning radar (Type 281), and fire control radar for main guns & secondary armaments (Type 284/285)[7]. Liverpool rejoined the Home Fleet in April 1942. In the following two months, she participated escorts for Arctic Convoys. In June 1942, she was re-deployed to Mediterranean to reinforce Operation Harpoon for supplying Malta.
On 14th June 1942, when Liverpool was covering the convoy with Force W, the fleet was attacked by Italian torpedo bombers. At the local time 1420 hours, on starboard of the convoy, Liverpool was targeted by four bombers. She successfully evaded three torpedoes, yet the last one hit her starboard, right on the ‘B’ engine room beneath the rear mast. The torpedo made a 24ft by 19ft hole in the starboard, destroying turbo generators in the ‘B’ engine room, left two shafts on the starboard out of function. The water soon flooded in the ‘B’ engine room and kept entering into nearby sections such as the entire ‘B’ boiler room, therefore making the inner shaft on the port side inoperative as well. The unbalanced power output turned the cruiser 270° to starboard. Before the flood was under control, it was estimated over 2,600 tons of water entered the ship, creating a list to 7°[8].
The situation for Liverpool was critical. She could only maintain 3 to 4 knots with the one remaining shaft while more airstrikes were on their way. The Italian Air Force in Sardinia shifted their focus on Liverpool instead of the convoy. Two destroyers, HMS Antelope and HMS Westcott came to tow Liverpool and support air defense. The small fleet was ordered to return Gibraltar. At the local time 1640 hours, a wave of Italian fighters dropped bombs on Liverpool. Two bombs nearly hit the starboard side, increasing the list to 9.5° and draught to 27ft 8in (standard draught for Liverpool is 20ft 7in). But this is not the end of the day; At 1800 hours, a coordinated attack of 11 high-level bombers and seven torpedo bombers attempted to sink the damaged cruiser. Luckily, the attack scored no hit on Liverpool. Italians continued their attack for the rest of the day. A group of high-level bombers attacked at 2015 hours, and six torpedo bombers dropped their torpedoes at long range against Liverpool at 2230 hours. None of the attacks achieved further damage to Liverpool, while she brought down at least one bomber using her main guns4.
In the afternoon of the 17th, Liverpool and her guarding destroyers safely reached Gibraltar, where she received some emergency repairs. On 5th August 1942, Liverpool was transferred to Rosyth, the UK, for permanent repairs. Due to the significant damage, it would require a lot of time and resources to repair Liverpool fully. Therefore, the priority of repairing is lower than patching up slightly damaged ships. In 1944, the modification for the Pacific area was added to the work. An Anti-air battery replaced one aft turret, and more advanced radars were applied on the ship. In August 1945, Liverpool was ready for re-service, but at this time, it was too late for her to gain more Battle Honors. She was the only survivor of three 1935 variant cruisers.
Liverpool continued her service as flagship of the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet after the war. In 1953, she was reduced to reserve fleet, where she was kept until 1957 and moved to Disposal List. In 1958, Liverpool was sold for breaking up by P&W MacLellan at Bo'ness[7].
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
References:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.ww2ships.com/britain/gb-cl-001-b.shtml
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Brown, David K.. Nelson to Vanguard: Warship Design and Development, 1923–1945 (Chatham's Distinguished Design) (p. 175). Pen & Sword Books.
- ↑ https://www.naval-encyclopedia.com/ww2/uk/town-class-cruisers-1936
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1230.html
- ↑ https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Liverpool.htm
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Waters, Conrad. British Town Class Cruisers: Design, Development & Performance: Southampton & Belfast Classes (p. 168).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Waters, Conrad. British Town Class Cruisers: Design, Development & Performance: Southampton & Belfast Classes (p. 213). Pen & Sword Books.
- ↑ Waters, Conrad. British Town Class Cruisers: Design, Development & Performance: Southampton & Belfast Classes (p. 216). Pen & Sword Books.
External links
| Britain light cruisers | |
|---|---|
| Emerald-class | HMS Enterprise |
| Dido-class | HMS Dido |
| Leander-class | HMNZS Leander |
| Arethusa-class | HMS Arethusa |
| Town-class | HMS Belfast · HMS Liverpool · HMS Southampton |
| Tiger-class | HMS Tiger |
| Abdiel-class* | HMS Abdiel |
| Squadron ships | |
|---|---|
| Germany | Karl Marx |
| USSR | SKR-7 |
| Britain | HMS Liverpool |
| Japan | IJN Shimakaze |
