HMS EMERALD – World War 1 E-class Cruiser

E-Class Cruiser ordered from Armstrong shipyard, High Walker, Newcastle on 7th March 1918 and laid down on 23rd September that year. The ship was launched on 19th May 1920 and was the 12th RN ship to bear this name, introduced in 1757 for a Prize and last used for a frigate in 1861. After launch the ship was towed to HM Dockyard, Chatham where build was completed on 14th January 1926. She commissioned for service in the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the East Indies Station but returned from Colombo to Gibraltar soon after arrival on Station for repairs to feed tanks. Soon after return to the Squadron she was detached for service on the China Station in December 1926. The ship resumed Squadron duties based at Colombo in the following September. Apart from return to UK for refits, the whole of her pre-war service from 1927 onwards was in the East Indies until July 1938 when she paid-off at Chatham and was deployed there with a special complement as a Boys Training Ship. In July 1939 the ship recommissioned with a largely Reservist complement for attendance at the Review of the Reserve Fleet at Weymouth by HM King George VI on 9th August and remained in commission as part of the mobilisation carried out immediately before the outbreak of WW2. She joined the 12th Cruiser Squadron and took up her War Station on 31st August when she sailed from Scapa Flow for interception of German shipping on Northern Patrol. Following a successful WARSHIP WEEK National Savings campaign in June 1942 this cruiser was adopted by the civil community of County Antrim, Ulster.

HMS Emerald General Characteristics

Class & type:         Emerald-class light cruiser

Displacement:       7,580 tons standard  :  9,435 tons full load.

Length:                  570 ft (170 m)

Beam:                     54.5 ft (16.6 m)

Draught:                16.5 ft (5.0 m)

Installed power:    80,000 shp (59.6 MW)

Propulsion:            Four shafts : Brown-Curtis geared turbines :

                                Eight boilers in four compartments – part forward of amidships magazine and part abaft forward engine room

Speed:                    33 knots (61 km/h)

Range:                    1,350 nautical miles at 32 knots (2,500 km at 59 km/h)  :  8,000 nautical miles at 15 knots (15,000 km at 28 km/h) : 1,746 tons fuel oil

Complement:        572 officers and enlisted

Armament:

Original configuration:

• 7 × 6 in (152 mm) single guns,
• 4 × 3 pdr (47 mm) “pom-pom” guns,
• 3 × 4 in (102 mm)AA single guns,
• 4 × 21 in (533 mm) quadruple torpedo tubes.

August 1939:

• 7 × 6 in (152 mm) single guns,
• 2 × quadruple 0.5 in MG guns,
• 4 × 3 pdr (47 mm) pom-pom single guns,
• 4 × 21 in (533 mm) quadruples torpedo tubes.

April 1943:

• 5 × 6 in (152 mm) single guns,
• 2 × 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns,
• 4 × 3 pdr (47 mm) pom-pom single guns,
• 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) dual power-operated guns,
• 4 × 21 in (533 mm) quadruples torpedo tubes.

April 1944:

• 5 × 6 in (152 mm) single guns,
• 2 × 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns,
• 4 × 3 pdr (47 mm) pom-pom single guns,
• 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns,
• 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) dual power-operated guns,
• 4 × 21 in (533 mm) quadruples torpedo tubes.

Armour: Original configuration:

• Side: 3 in (amidships),
• Side: 2.5 in – 1.5 in (bow),
• Side: 2 in (stern),
• Upper Deck: 1 in (amidships)
• Deck: 1 in (over rudder).

Aircraft carried:   One aircraft with one catapult. Catapult later removed. A Fairey Seafox was carried in the early days of World War II

 

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