HMS York
Contents
Description
HMS York and her sister HMS Exeter were a class of two heavy cruisers designed as smaller, cheaper versions of the preceding County-class cruisers. As such, the two ships were designed to a standard displacement 8,250 tons, largely achieved by shortening the hull by 50 ft, removing a twin 203 mm turret, and adjusting the thickness of armour in some areas. The reduction in displacement was intended to allow six 8 inch-armed ships to be built under the Washington Naval Treaty compared to five of the heavier County class design; however, only York and Exeter were built, with budget cuts and the subsequent London Naval Treaty causing the rest of the planned York class to be cancelled in favour of a greater number of even smaller Town-class light cruisers.
HMS York was laid down on 18 May 1927, and commissioned on 1 May 1930. On the outbreak of WWII, she was transferred from her base in Bermuda to Nova Scotia, escorting convoys and hunting down commerce raiders. In early 1940, she was involved in the Norwegian campaign, initially as part of the planned British invasion of Norway, followed by defense and evacuation of forces against the subsequent German invasion. From August 1940, York was reassigned to the Mediterranean Fleet, escorting convoys and troops, as well as providing escort for the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious' attack on Taranto in November. In March 1941, while operating in Suda Bay in Crete, York was struck by two Italian explosive motorboats, flooding both boiler rooms. She was run aground to prevent sinking, but German bombers further damaged her beyond repair. Her wreck remained there until being salvaged and scrapped by an Italian shipbreaker in 1952.
Introduced in Update "Starfighters", the HMS York is very much a heavy cruiser primarily used for long-range engagements and should be played as such. The HMS York is a formidable opponent due to its good fire rate and strong shells with decent velocity, which allows players to inflict massive damage on other light and heavy cruisers. The HMS York is also a mobile vessel that can accelerate and turn quickly despite not being especially fast in a straight line due to being lightweight for a heavy cruiser. However, the HMS York is not fit for any close-quarters fighting due to her extremely inadequate armour protection.
General info
Survivability and armour
The most prominent strength of the armour layout can be seen with the ammunition placement. Both the main and auxiliary ammunition storages are placed far below the waterline and encased by the thickest armour on the ship (102 mm / 4 in) resulting in an overall low probability of a catastrophic ammo detonation. The main belt armour of the York consists of 76 mm (3 in) of RHA which will stop most destroyer calibre rounds (127 mm / 5 in or lower) while degrading most light cruiser rounds at ranges above 5,000 m assuming they are not using full AP rounds.
There are three basic weaknesses. For one, the ship lacks an extensive reserve of crew meaning that hits to highly populated portions of the ship will result in the ship being crew knocked relatively quickly. Secondly, the ship's citadel roof armour is only 38 mm (1.5 in) thick, meaning that arcing shots from longer ranges can completely bypass the belt armour and wreak havoc on the internals of the ship. Lastly, the lack of antifragmentation armour near the bridge means that most HE shells that land next to it will result in the loss of the bridge, and thus in the loss of control of the ship until it is repaired.
The turrets and ammo elevators are protected by 25.4 mm (1 in) of armour. The steering gear is protected by 38.1 mm (1.5 in) of armour.
Mobility
The HMS York is surprisingly agile and mobile when compared to many ships of similar size and scope. Agility is not often talked about much when referring to heavy cruisers but the HMS York is a special case. The ship can make especially sharp turns (so much so that captains should be wary if they're taking on water at the time of initiating the turn for fear of capsizing) that can often be used to dodge incoming shells if given enough time to react. This will also bolster a captain's ability to respond to incoming torpedoes with evasive manoeuvres to evade the incoming threat.
Mobility is a crucial asset that the York has access to to help maintain an advantageous position on the map. The top speed of 56 km/h allows for the York to keep up with even some destroyers resulting in captains of this ship being able to get early in positions or secure capture points.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 70 | 25 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 60 | 22 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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It is recommended that after researching the Tool Set and Fire Prevention Equipment (FPE) to immediately research the 8 in SAPCBC shell as the stock HE shell is often incapable of dealing significant damage to other cruisers, let alone battleships or battlecruisers. Once the shell is obtained then Rudder Replacement is a great choice as it improves the already impressive mobility of the ship.
Armament
Primary armament
The main armament of the HMS York consists of 3 twin turrets of the 8 inch/50 Mark VIII cannon. This cannon will become very familiar with captains of British heavy cruisers as it is used by all of them with the exception of the HMS Hawkins. This cannon is a potent weapon in the right hands as it can fire up to 5 salvos a minute with pinpoint accuracy, each of those salvos containing either an HE shell with enough explosive mass to make most destroyers think twice before engaging this ship, or an SAP shell that will make heavy cruisers such as the Prinz Eugen and USS New Orleans wary of this opponent.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 1,000 m | 2,500 m | 5,000 m | 7,500 m | 10,000 m | 15,000 m | ||
| HE | HE | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 |
| Mark I.B. SAPCBC | SAPCBC | 274 | 248 | 209 | 178 | 153 | 119 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| HE | HE | 855 | 116.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 10 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Mark I.B. SAPCBC | SAPCBC | 855 | 116.1 | 0.025 | 9 | 5.2 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
Secondary armament
The HMS York is equipped with a total of four 4-inch guns in single mounts just aft of the bridge in single mounts. These cannons by themselves will not amount to much firepower, however with addition of the time-fused shell, they can be turned into potent AA weapons. The SAP shell is also of some note as it can deal with most destroyer level armour and can keep most PT boats from becoming overly ambitious.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 1,000 m | 2,500 m | 5,000 m | 7,500 m | 10,000 m | 15,000 m | ||
| 4 inch HE | HE | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| 4 inch SAP | SAP | 90 | 72 | 51 | 37 | 28 | 24 |
| 4 inch HE-TF | HE-TF | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (s) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| 4 inch HE | HE | 805 | 14.06 | 0 | 0.1 | 721 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| 4 inch SAP | SAP | 805 | 15.2 | 0.015 | 5 | 520 | 47° | 60° | 65° | |||
| 4 inch HE-TF | HE-TF | 811 | 15.88 | 0 | 0.1 | 1,550 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
Anti-aircraft armament
The anti-aircraft armament of the HMS York consists of two main weapon types, first are the 20 mm Oerlikons scattered around the ship, and secondly are the 2 quadruple 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V machine gun mounts placed on either side of the superstructure. While not amazing when compared to the AA armament of other cruisers such as the USS Helena or Prinz Eugen, the HMS York is still able to adequately defend itself from most aerial attacks using terrain to the aircraft's advantage.
The 20 mm cannons are also capable of keeping most small craft such as PT boats at bay while the main cannons are occupied with other targets.
Additional armament
The Mk.IX torpedoes that the HMS York carries are medium range/medium yield torpedoes capable of knocking out most destroyers with a single torpedo and severely damaging cruisers with a single well-placed hit. The firing arcs on the launchers are decent enough where you do not need to make a full broadside to launch them, however you will need to turn your ship approximately 45 degrees to get a spread off.
Scout plane
Located amidships is a catapult with one Walrus Mk.I scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The Walrus is equipped with only defensive machine gun turrets but it does carry 4 x 250 lb bombs. It also has the scout plane ability to cap zones and lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilise the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new! Carrying a far heavier bomb load than other scout planes, this unit has a very good chance to sink enemy boats or even a destroyer... if it can get close enough.
Usage in battles
The York is very much a sniping cruiser and should be played as such. While it lacks a huge broadside, it makes up for this with a fantastic 5 rpm rate of fire, which is one of the best reloads in the game for heavy cruiser firepower. For comparison, the American heavy cruisers fire 3 rounds/per minute, nearly half as quickly. Combined with good shell velocity, this can make the York a frightening opponent for other cruisers, with its guns doing immense damage. Better yet, 2/3rds of the York's firepower is positioned on the bow, meaning it can angle severely and still do a good amount of damage. The York is also a fairly nimble ship, and while it isn't very fast in a straight line, its low weight for a heavy cruiser means it can get up to speed well, and can turn very quickly.
The York suffers once the gap in distance is closed. Its armour is mediocre, even for a British cruiser. While the ammo racks are well-protected (and will prove a challenge for anything except other heavy cruisers), its belt armour is very flat and very weak. While its deck armour is strong, it's only rolled armour, meaning arcing shells, bombs, and rockets can do immense damage if they hit the superstructure. The guns are also very weak, with just 25 mm of armour around the turrets, meaning they can be knocked out very easily, even by light cruisers. In addition, the York lacks the beefy AA armament of many other British ships. It has only four 4-inch DP guns, and just a handful of 20 mm and 12.7 mm small arms guns to combat aircraft at close range. Combined with its weak armour, this can make the York an enticing target for aircraft.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Fantastic rate of fire with its main battery guns can make it a menace in gunnery duels
- Small and nimble, can move around the battlefield very well
- A small target that can be difficult to hit, especially at long range
- Access to torpedoes with good speed and damage, which can ward off flanking cruisers effectively
- Well-armoured ammo racks mean knock-outs from a single salvo can only be inflicted by heavy cruisers
- One scout seaplane carrying a potent bomb-load.
Cons:
- Poor secondary armament that can leave it vulnerable at close range and against aircraft (until short range AA engages)
- Tiny crew size - fires and flooding can kill it very quickly
- Poor belt and deck armour makes it vulnerable to arcing fire and bombs
History
HMS York (90) was the lead ship of two York-class heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She served in the North American theatre before the war, and escorted Atlantic convoys in the first part of the Second World War. She also participated in the British Norway campaign, and was later reassigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. However, while in service with the Mediterranean fleet, she was disabled by Italian explosive motorboats. Critically damaged, her wreck was abandoned by the Allies. She was salvaged and scrapped in 1952.
Design and development
The York was based on the earlier County-class cruisers, the first 8-inch heavy cruisers used by the United Kingdom. Lighter than the previous 10-thousand ton County-class cruisers, the York displaced 8,250 tons standard.[1] The York carried eight 8-inch (203 mm) guns in four dual turrets; this was the standard armament for later British heavy cruisers.[1]She also carried two triple torpedo tube launchers. Her anti-aircraft armament was rather sparse, and was never improved sufficiently to grant her good AA performance. She could make a top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h), and had an endurance of 24,600 km at 22 km/h.[1]
The York was laid down on May 16th 1927, and was launched on July 17th 1928. She was completed on May 1st 1930, and subsequently began serving with the British home fleet.[2]
Operational Service
The York entered service in 1930, serving as the flagship of the 2nd Cruiser squadron of the Home Fleet. Between 1934 and 1940, she served primarily with the North America/West Indies Station, though she was detached to the Mediterranean fleet for two years for the Italo-Abyssinian War.
At the start of the Second World War, York was based in Halifax as a part of Force F, a squadron tasked with hunting for commerce raiders and escorting convoys. She returned to the UK in late 1939, and underwent a refit before being assigned to the 1st Cruiser squadron of the Home Fleet. She also participated in the planned British invasion of Norway, and evacuated Anglo-French troops from Namsos following the German invasion.
In August of 1940, York was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser squadron of the British Mediterranean fleet. She participated in the Battle of Passero, where she sank the crippled destroyer Artigliere, and escorted the carrier HMS Illustrious during her raid on the Italian fleet at Taranto.[2] However, in early 1941, she was disabled by explosive MTBs of the Italian navy. German bombers further damaged the ship, which was considered to be damaged beyond repair.[2] As a result, the British abandoned the ship and destroyed its armament prior to their evacuation from Crete; the wreck was salvaged and scrapped in 1952.[1]
Media
- Skins
See also
Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:
- reference to the series of the ship;
- links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.
External links
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Lettens, J. (2008, August 28). HMS York (1941). Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?123797
- Helgason, G. (1995). HMS York. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1187.html
| Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | |
|---|---|
| Light Cruisers | |
| Town-class | HMS York |
| Battlecruisers | |
| Unique ships | HMS Queen Mary |
| Britain heavy cruisers | |
|---|---|
| Hawkins-class | HMS Hawkins |
| York-class | HMS York |
| County-class | HMS Kent · HMS London · HMS Norfolk |
