1974 HMS CARDIFF. One of a class of ten Type 42 destroyers armed with guided missiles and carrying a helicopter, built in two batches over a ten-year period from 1970.
THE SHEFFIELD CLASS
The second half of the 1960s was a time of transition for the worlds major navies, as missiles began to replace guns as main armament. The Royal Navy needed to replace almost all of its fleet, and there was considerable political pressure to keep costs down. The primary result of that was to see the ships shortened by over 50ft (15m), which proved to be a false economy, for it made them uncomfortably wet and reduced their speed. Cardiff (D 108), the third ship of the class, was built at Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow; laid down on 6 November 1972, she was launched on 22 February 1974, but not completed until 24 September 1979, since a shortage of skilled manpower made it necessary for her to be towed to Swan Hunters yard on the Tyne for completion.
MACHINERY AND ARMAMENT
The need to keep costs down was to be a positive factor in one sense. The Sheffield class ships (and most of the Royal Navys more recent commissions) was powered by COGOG Combination of Gas or Gas machinery: two Olympus gas turbines for high-speed running, two much smaller Tyne gas turbines for cruising, an arrangement which is both economical and very effective, and allows rapid engine replacement for major overhaul. She mounted a single 4.5in (114mm) Mk 8 DP automatic gun and two single 20mm Oerlikon cannon, but her main armament consisted of missiles a twin launcher for GWS3O Sea Dart SAMs, which had a limited surface-to-surface capacity. Later ships in the class were fitted with twin triple banks of tubes to launch lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Guided-missile destroyer Machinery: 2-shaft COGOG with 2 Olympus gas turbines developing a total of 50,000shp and 2 Tyne gas turbines developing a total of 8000shp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 125m (410ft); beam 14m (46ft)
Displacement: 3850t standard, 4350t deep load
Draught: 5.8m (l9ft)
Complement: 299-312
