HMS Shropshire

HMS Shropshire
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Shropshire
Namesake	Shropshire, England
Ordered	17 March 1926
Builder	William Beardmore and Company (Dalmuir, Scotland)
Laid down	24 February 1927
Launched	5 July 1928
Completed	12 September 1929
Commissioned	24 September 1929
Decommissioned	23 December 1942
Identification	Pennant number: 73, later 83, later 96
Honours and awards	Battle honours: Atlantic 1941 Arctic 1941
Fate	Transferred to RAN
Australia
Name	HMAS Shropshire
Commissioned	20 April 1943
Decommissioned	10 November 1949
Motto	"Floreat Ambo"
Honours and awards	Battle honours: New Guinea 1943–44 Leyte Gulf 1944 Lingayen Gulf 1945 Borneo 1945 Pacific 1945
Fate	Sold for scrap, 16 July 1954
General characteristics
Class and type	County-class heavy cruiser
Displacement	9,750 tons standard 13,315 tons full load
Length	633 ft (193 m)
Beam	66 ft (20 m)
Draught	21 ft (6.4 m)
Propulsion	8 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers 4-shaft Parsons geared turbines 80,000 shaft horsepower (60,000 kW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range	4,715 km (2,546 nmi; 2,930 mi) at 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h; 36.2 mph) 20,116 kilometres (10,862 nmi; 12,500 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) 3,210 tons fuel oil
Complement	690 (peace), 1,000 (war)
Armament	Original configuration: 8 × 8-in (203 mm) Mk VIII dual guns 4 × QF 4-in (102 mm) Mk V single AA guns 4 × 2-pdr (40 mm) single pom-poms 2 × 2-pdr (40 mm) quad pom-poms 2 × 0.5-in quadruple Vickers machine gun mount 2 × quadruple 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes April 1941 – November 1942 configuration: 8 × 8-in (203 mm) Mk VIII dual guns 4 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk XVI dual AA guns 2 × 2-pdr (40 mm) eight barrel pom-poms 10 × 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns 2 × .50 caliber quadruple Vickers machine gun mount 2 × quadruple 21-in (533 mm) torpedo tubes November 1942 – April 1944 configuration: 8 × 8 in (203-mm) Mk VIII dual guns 4 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk XVI dual AA guns 2 × 2-pdr (40 mm) eight barrel pom-poms 6 × 20-mm (0.8 in) single guns 7 × 20-mm (0.8 in) dual guns 2 × 0.5-in quadruple Vickers machine gun mount 2 × quadruple 21-in (533 mm) torpedo tubes January 1945 – February 1946 configuration: 8 × 8-in (203 mm) Mk VIII dual guns 4 × QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk XVI dual AA guns 2 × 2-pdr (40 mm) eight barrel pom-poms 2 × 20-mm (0.8 in) dual guns 15 × 40-mm (1.5 in) Bofors Mk III single guns
Armour	1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10.2 cm) magazine box protection 1.375 inches (3.49 cm) deck 1 inch (2.5 cm) side-plating, turrets and bulkheads 4.5 inches (11 cm) belt 4 inches (10 cm) internal boiler room sides (added 1936–1940)
Aircraft carried	One aircraft, one catapult. Three planes used during service; Fairey III, Hawker Osprey, Supermarine Walrus

HMS Shropshire was a Royal Navy (RN) heavy cruiser of the London sub-class of County-class cruisers. She is the only warship to have been named after Shropshire, England. Completed in 1929, Shropshire served with the RN until 1942, when she was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) following the loss of sister ship HMAS Canberra. Commissioned as HMAS Shropshire, the ship remained in RAN service until 1949, and was sold for scrap in 1954.