Minotaur-class cruiser (1943)

Class overview
NameMinotaur class
Operators
Preceded byFiji class
Succeeded byNeptune class (planned) Tiger class (actual)
Built1941–1945
In commission1944–1958
Planned9
Completed3
Cancelled6
Scrapped3 (3 other early-stage Minotaur hulls became the Tiger class)
General characteristics
TypeLight cruiser
Displacement
  • 8,800 tons standard
  • 11,130 tons full
  • (Superb: 8,885 tons standard
  • 11,560 tons full)
Length555.5 ft (169.3 m)
Beam63 ft (19 m) (Superb: 64 ft (20 m))
Draught17.25 ft (5.26 m)
Installed power72,500 shp (54.1 MW)
Propulsion
Speed31.5 knots (58.3 km/h)
Range
  • 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) at 30 knots (60 km/h)
  • 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h); 1,850 tons fuel oil
Complement867
Armament
Armour
  • 3.25–3.5-inch (83–89 mm) belt
  • 2-inch (51 mm) deck
  • 1–2-inch (25–51 mm) turrets
  • 1.5–2-inch (38–51 mm) bulkheads

The Minotaur class, also known as the Swiftsure class after the lead ship was sold to Canada and renamed, were a group of light cruisers of the British Royal Navy built during the Second World War. They were designed as a modified version of the Fiji class incorporating war modifications and authorised in 1941. However, in spite of the heavy toll of cruisers in that year and the following one, the building of this new class had a relatively low priority and only three of the planned twelve were completed by end of World War II. They played no significant part in the Second World War, though Swiftsure, as flagship of the British Pacific Cruiser Squadron, was selected by Admiral Cecil Harcourt to hoist his flag for the Japanese surrender at Hong Kong.

Superb was completed to a slightly different design than the first two ships, work on another three was cancelled and the last three were eventually built to a different design as the Tiger class.