HMS GLASGOW – Town-type Light Cruiser

“SOUTHAMPTON” Class Cruiser ordered from Scotts at Greenock on 17th December 1934 and laid down on 16th April 1935. The ship was launched on 20th June 1936 by Mrs Stanley Baldwin, wife of the Prime Minister. She was the 7th RN ship to bear this name, introduced in 1707 for a Scots Navy 6th Rate completed in 1696 and named ROYAL MARY. The last ship to bear the name was a 2nd Class Cruiser built in 1909 and sold in 1927. Build was completed on 8th September 1937 but without some components of main armament fire control system. These items were fitted at the end of that year during her first commission. This cruiser escorted the liner RMS EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA with HM King George VI embarked for passage to Canada in May 1939.  Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in May 1942 this cruiser was “adopted” by the civil community of the county of Lanarkshire.

HMS Glasgow General characteristics

 

Displacement:             9,100 tons standard : 11,350 tons full load

Length:                        558 ft (170 m)

Beam:                         61 ft 8 in (18.80 m)

Draught:                    21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)

Propulsion:                Four-shaft Parsons geared turbines :4x Admiralty 3-drum boilers :75,000 shp

Speed:                       32 knots (59 km/h)

Complement:            748

Armament:     

 

Original Configuration:

• 12 x [1] BL 6-inch (152.4 mm) Mk XXIII guns[2] in triple turrets (4×3) (one aft turret later replaced by 8 x Bofors 40 mm guns)
• 8 x QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk XVI guns (4×2)
• 8 x QF 2-pounder (40-mm) anti-aircraft guns (2×4)
• 8 x 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) anti-aircraft machine-guns (2×4)
• 6 x 21-inch (530 mm) torpedo tubes (2×3) (deck mounted, later removed)

Aircraft carried:          Two Supermarine Walrus aircraft (Removed in the latter part of WWII)

 

On the next page we have transcribed what details we have been able to find regarding the war time exploits of HMS Glasgow whilst Peter was a member of her crew.