HMS Birkenhead (1915)

History
Greece
Name	Antinavarchos Kountouriotis
Namesake	Pavlos Kountouriotis
Builder	Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England
Laid down	21 March 1914
Launched	18 January 1915
Fate	Sold to the United Kingdom, 1915
United Kingdom
Namesake	Birkenhead
Acquired	1915
Commissioned	May 1915
Renamed	HMS Birkenhead
Fate	Sold for scrap, 26 October 1921
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Town-class light cruiser
Displacement	5,235 long tons (5,319 t)
Length	430 ft (131.1 m) p/p 456 ft 6 in (139.1 m) o/a
Beam	49 ft 10 in (15.2 m)
Draught	15 ft 3 in (4.65 m) (mean)
Installed power	25,000 shp (19,000 kW) 12 × Yarrow boilers
Propulsion	4 × shafts; 3 × Parsons steam turbines
Speed	25.5 kn (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph)
Complement	about 500
Armament	10 × single BL 5.5-inch (140 mm) Mk I guns 2 × single QF 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) anti-aircraft guns 2 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Waterline belt: 2 in (51 mm) on 1 in (25 mm) plate Deck: .375–1.5 in (9.5–38.1 mm) Conning Tower: 4 in (102 mm)

HMS Birkenhead was one of two Town-class light cruisers originally ordered for the Greek Navy in 1914. She was to be named Antinavarchos Kountouriotis after Vice Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis. The order was placed with Cammell Laird and production continued for the Greek account after the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. In 1915, however, the two cruisers were purchased by the British government, and entered service with the Royal Navy.