RN:
Evolution of a Kent class heavy cruiser, HMS Cumberland 1928 to 1958
The first picture is actually
Cumberland's sister HMS
Berwick. But they were very similar as built. The classic layout is clear, with limited anti-air weapons (just 4 x 4-inch guns and 4 x single Pom Poms as the planned octuple mounts were unavailable), just one High-Angle Director and no armour belt (except for the hull being thickened to 1").
In the mid 1930s all of the
Kent class - with the exception of
Canberra - underwent modernisation. This varied between ships, but
Cumberland received nearly the full package. She gained a 4.5" armour belt, an aircraft hangar for two aircraft and a new heavy catapult, her single 4-inch mounts were replaced by twin mounts, she gained two quad Pom Poms, and a second High-Angle Director. She lost her torpedo tubes and her quarterdeck - cut down to keep her within the treaty displacement limit.
By 1945 warfare had moved on, and she's had her hangar removed. She's received a variety of radars, for both surveillance and fire control, and her anti-aircraft armament has been supplemented by 16 x 20mm Oerlikon cannons, although her AA remained comparatively light compared to some of her sisters.
During a 1949-51 refit she was converted into a trials ship. She had her 8-inch guns removed but ended up testing a variety of new systems, including the prototype 6-inch and 3-inch guns later used on the
Tiger class cruisers and a new torpedo system. She was also fitted with a 'pre-wet' system for testing.
Cumberland was paid off in 1958 after 30 years of service. A valuable ship, between the outbreak of war and the 31st December 1941 alone she steamed 195,876 miles. She played a supporting role in the hunt for the
Admiral Graf Spee, and earned battle honours for North Africa, the Arctic, Sabang and Burma.
