HMS Gloucester (62)

Gloucester at anchor, 1939
History
United Kingdom
Name:	Gloucester
Namesake:	Gloucester
Builder:	Devonport Dockyard
Laid down:	22 September 1936
Launched:	19 October 1937
Completed:	31 January 1939
Identification:	Pennant number: 62
Nickname(s):	"The Fighting G"
Fate:	Sunk by German aircraft, 22 May 1941
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type:	Town-class light cruiser
Displacement:	9,400 long tons (9,600 t) (standard) 11,650 long tons (11,840 t) (full load)
Length:	588 ft (179.2 m)
Beam:	62 ft 4 in (19.00 m)
Draught:	20 ft 7 in (6.27 m)
Installed power:	4 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 82,500 shp (61,500 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Speed:	32 knots (59.3 km/h; 36.8 mph)
Range:	6,000 nmi (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement:	800–15
Armament:	4 × triple 6-inch (152 mm) guns 4 × twin 4-inch (102 mm) dual-purpose guns 2 × quadruple 2-pdr (40 mm) "pom-pom" AA mounts 2 × quadruple 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) Vickers AA machine gun mounts 2 × triple 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Waterline belt: 4.5 in (114 mm) Deck: 2 in (51 mm) Gun turrets: 1–2 in (25–51 mm)
Aircraft carried:	2 × Supermarine Walrus flying boats
Aviation facilities:	1 × catapult

HMS Gloucester was one of the last batch of three Town-class light cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the late 1930s. Commissioned shortly before the start of World War II in August 1939, the ship was initially assigned to the China Station and was transferred to the Indian Ocean and later to South Africa to search for German commerce raiders. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in mid-1940 and spent much of her time escorting Malta Convoys. Gloucester played minor roles in the Battle of Calabria in 1940 and the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941. She was sunk by German dive bombers on 22 May 1941 during the Battle of Crete with the loss of 722 men out of a crew of 807.

The Town-class light cruisers were designed as counters to the Japanese Mogami-class cruisers built during the early 1930s and the last batch of three ships was enlarged to accommodate more fire-control equipment and thicker armour.Gloucester displaced 9,400 long tons (9,600 t) at standard load and 11,650 long tons (11,840 t) at deep load. The ship had an overall length of 591 feet 6 inches (180.3 m), a beam of 62 feet 4 inches (19.0 m) and a draught of 20 feet 7 inches (6.3 m). She was powered by four Parsons geared steam turbine sets, each driving one shaft, which developed a total of 82,500 shaft horsepower (61,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph). Steam for the turbines was provided by four Admiralty 3-drum boilers. The ship carried a maximum of 2,075 long tons (2,108 t) of fuel oil which gave her a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,110 km; 6,900 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). The ship's complement was 800–815 officers and ratings.