HMS Despatch (D30)
_underway_off_the_Panama_canal_zone_on_31_October_1939.jpg)
HMS Despatch in October 1939
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Despatch |
| Ordered: | March 1918 |
| Builder: | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan |
| Laid down: | 8 July 1918 |
| Launched: | 24 September 1919 |
| Commissioned: | 2 June 1922 |
| Identification: | Pennant number D30 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap, 5 April 1946 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type: | Danae-class light cruiser |
| Displacement: | 4,970 long tons (5,050 t) |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | 46 ft 9 in (14.2 m) |
| Draught: | 16 ft 11 in (5.16 m) (mean, deep load) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines |
| Speed: | 29 kn (54 km/h; 33 mph) |
| Complement: | 460 |
| Armament: |
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| Armour: |
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| Notes: | Received a Le Cheminant deck watch from the Royal Observatory on 23 January 1933. |
HMS Despatch was a Danae-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy during World War I. She was part of the Delhi sub-class of the Danae class.
The Delhi sub-class was identical with the preceding ships except that their bows were raised for better seakeeping. The ships were 472 feet 6 inches (144.0 m) long overall, with a beam of 46 feet 9 inches (14.2 m) and a mean deep draught of 16 feet 11 inches (5.2 m). Displacement was 4,970 long tons (5,050 t) at normal and 5,250 long tons (5,330 t) at deep load. Despatch was powered by two Brown-Curtis steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, which produced a total of 40,000 indicated horsepower (30,000 kW). The turbines used steam generated by six Yarrow boilers which gave her a speed of about 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph). She carried 1,050 long tons (1,067 t) tons of fuel oil. The ship had a crew of about 450 officers and other ranks.
Despatch was armed with six centreline BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XII guns. One superfiring pair of guns was forward of the bridge, another pair were fore and aft of the two funnels and the last two were in the stern, with one gun superfiring over the rearmost gun. The two QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun anti-aircraft guns were positioned on elevated platforms between the funnels and the QF 2-pounder "pom-pom" AA guns were amidships on the upper deck. The ships were equipped with a dozen 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes in four triple mounts, two on each broadside.
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