View source for Capetown Class Cruiser (1918)

The five [[Light Cruiser|light cruisers]] of the '''''Capetown'' Class''' (or, sometimes, '''Cairo Class''') were completed between 1919 and 1922.  They were follow-on units of the [[Ceres Class Cruiser (1917)|''Ceres'' class]], and generally completed after their design successors, the [[Danae Class Cruiser (1917)|''Danae'' class]].

<div name=fredbot:ships>
{| class="wikitable collapsible" border=2 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="margin: 0 0 1em 0.5em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" align=center;
|-
! colspan=6 align=left|Overview of 5 vessels
|-
| colspan=6 align=left|<small>Citations for this data available on individual ship pages</small>
|-
! align=center | Name 
! align=center | Builder 
! align=center | Laid Down 
! align=center | Launched 
! align=center | Completed 
! align=center | Fate
|- align=left
| {{Template:UK-Capetown}}
|[[Cammell Laird]]
|23 Feb, 1918
|18 Jun, 1919
|
|Sold Apr, 1948
|- align=left
| {{Template:UK-Cairo}}
|[[Cammell Laird]]
|28 Nov, 1917
|19 Nov, 1918
|10 Oct, 1919
|Sunk 
|- align=left
| {{Template:UK-Calcutta}}
|[[Vickers]]
|18 Oct, 1917
|9 Jul, 1918
|
|Sunk 
|- align=left
| {{Template:UK-Carlisle}}
|[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
|2 Oct, 1917
|9 Jul, 1918
|
|Sold 1948
|- align=left
| {{Template:UK-Colombo}}
|[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
|8 Dec, 1917
|18 Dec, 1918
|18 Jun, 1919
|Sold 22 Jan, 1948
|}
</div name=fredbot:ships>
==Machinery==
===Generators===
In 1916, it was stated that ""C" and "D" class light cruisers" have three 52.5 kw dynamos at 105 volts.<ref>''Annual Report of the Torpedo School', 1916', p. 120.</ref>  It is unclear whether this outfit was still deemed sufficient for this later class.

==Armament==
The ships were armed as follows.{{Conways1906|pp. 60-61}}

===Guns===
* Five 6-in 45cal B.L. Mark XII guns on the centre-line with a maximum elevation of 30 degrees.<ref>''Progress in Naval Gunnery, 1914-1918", p. 10.</ref>  The guns had armoured shields of 1/4 inch on the face, 3/16 inch on sides and top, weighing 1.25 tons.{{UKTHVol4Part34|p. 18.  I presume this is what is referred to as "C" class}}
* Two 3-in 20cwt Q.F. on H.A. mountings
* Four 3-pdr
* Two 2-pdr pom-poms

===Torpedoes===
* four [[21-in D.R. Torpedo Tube (UK)|21-in D.R. Mark II* (?)]] above water tubes (4x2) disposed in pairs abreast, bearing 60-120 degrees.

As the 6-in guns fired over these, they proved untenable for manned firing as the 6-in guns would have necessitated a blast shield projecting fully 18 feet from the muzzle.  The ugly expedient taken was to train the tubes to a pre-arranged bearing on coming to action stations and to use remote firing from the primary and secondary control positions.{{ARTS1916|p. 35.  I am inferring that the faults in ''Caledon'' carried through to this class}}

In 1918, the ''Capetown'' class was one of several light cruiser classes ordered to receive refits so that their A.W. torpedo tubes would use two impulse charges firing in a cascade to increase the torpedo discharge velocity and thus reduce the angle at which the torpedoes entered the water.  However, the ''Capetowns'' may have later been excluded from this alteration, as Mark II* tubes were found not to be suitable candidates for the re-work.{{ARTS1918|p. 81}}

==Fire Control==

===Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter===
By 1919, all the ships were likely equipped with four [[Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter Mark II*]]s with Elliott's Bearing Transmitters.  The installations generally consisted of placing one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from a gearbox on the director tower.{{UKManGun1920III|p. 35, 37}}

Supplies of these devices begane in June 1918.{{FCHMShips|pp. 25-6}}

===Range Dials===
As of 1920, all five ships had two [[Range Dial Type C]]s with 10 foot dials and a [[Range Dial Type L]].{{UKManGun1920III|p. 45}}

===Rangefinders===
They were to be supplied an additional 9-foot rangefinder aft, specifically to augment torpedo control.{{ARTS1917|p. 199. (possibly pertinent: C.I.O. 481/17)  I am presuming this is the "repeat C" class}}

By 1921, the ships were equipped as follows:{{HRFs1921|p. 169}}
* Fore bridge, port and starboard: two 12ft [[F.Q. 2]] on [[M.Q. 12]] mountings
* After control: 12ft [[F.Q. 2]] on [[M.Q. 1]]
* High Angle: 2m [[F.T. 29]] on [[M.T. 10]]

===Evershed Bearing Indicators===
These ships almost certainly had [[Evershed Bearing Indicator|Evershed gear]] for gun control from delivery, and would also feature Evershed installations for searchlight control after orders for such installations from February 1917.{{FCHMShips|p. 29}}

===Gunnery Control===

====Control Positions====

====Control Groups====

===Directors===
All ships were completed with gunnery directors in place.{{FCHMShips|p. 11}}  

The director was in a tower on a pedestal mounting and was probably augmented by use of their 'X' gun as a [[Directing Gun|directing gun]]. <ref>''Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918''., p. 142 and plate opposite.<br>It is most likely that the details were similar to those of the most recent light cruisers.</ref>{{INF}}

===Transmitting Stations===

===Dreyer Table===
All five ships are listed in the Dreyer Handbook of 1918 as having a [[Dreyer Table Mark III*]].  As of 1930's pamphlet on this table, they are all still so equipped.<ref>''Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918''.  p. 3.</ref><ref>Admiraly.  ''Pamphlet on Mark III* Dreyer Table, 1930'', p. 1.</ref>

===Fire Control Instruments===

==Torpedo Control==
In 1916, it was decided that all light cruisers of ''Bristol'' class and later should have torpedo firing keys (Pattern 2333) fitted on the fore bridge, in parallel with those in the CT, and that a flexible voice pipe be fitted between these positions.{{ARTS1916|p. 146}}

By 1917, modifications to the torpedo control voice pipe system were desired.  The voice pipes (port and starboard) to the CT were ordered to be removed in 1917, and in 1918, stop cocks were to be added to permit the after control position to be chopped out to improve the acoustic efficiency of the networks to the remaining rangefinder platform control position forward. {{ARTS1918|p. 214.  CT VP removal per C.I.O. 4037/17}}

In mid-1920, it was decided that the ships in this class should each receive a [[Renouf Torpedo Tactical Instrument Type A]].{{ARTS1919|p. 119}}

==See Also==
{{WP|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_class_cruiser#The_Carlisle_Class}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{DirectorH}}
*{{HFCI1909}}
*{{DreyerH}}
*{{FCHMShips}}
*{{UKProgressInNavalGunnery1914-1918}}
{{refend}}

{{Footer Capetown Class Cruiser (1918)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capetown}}

{{CatClassLightCruiser|UK}}


<!-- data

nat=UK
cat=LightCruiser
type=light cruiser

chain=Minor Cruisers

{ship
name=Capetown
pend=88 (Nov 1919)<ref>Dittmar; Colledge.  ''British Warships: 1914-1919''.</ref>
builder=[[Cammell Laird]]
order=
laid=23 Feb, 1918
launch=18 Jun, 1919
comm=
fate=Sold
fate2=
fatedate=Apr, 1948
}

{ship
name=Cairo
pend=97 (Sep 1919)<ref>Dittmar; Colledge.  ''British Warships: 1914-1919''.</ref>
builder=[[Cammell Laird]]
order=
laid=28 Nov, 1917
launch=19 Nov, 1918
comm=10 Oct, 1919{{NLDec20|p. 738}}
fate=Sunk
fate2=Sunk 12 August, 1942
fatedate=
}

{ship
name=Calcutta
pend=74 (Aug 1919)<ref>Dittmar; Colledge.  ''British Warships: 1914-1919''.</ref>
builder=[[Vickers]]
order=
laid=18 Oct, 1917
launch=9 Jul, 1918
comm=
fate=Sunk
fate2=Sunk 1 June, 1941
fatedate=
}

{ship
name=Carlisle
pend=41 (Nov 1918)<ref>Dittmar; Colledge.  ''British Warships: 1914-1919''.</ref>
builder=[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
order=
laid=2 Oct, 1917
launch=9 Jul, 1918
comm=
fate=Sold
fate2=
fatedate=1948
}

{ship
name=Colombo
pend=7A (Jun 1919)<ref>Dittmar; Colledge.  ''British Warships: 1914-1919''.</ref>
builder=[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
order=
laid=8 Dec, 1917
launch=18 Dec, 1918
comm=18 Jun, 1919
fate=Sold
fate2=
fatedate=22 Jan, 1948
}



data -->