HMS Edinburgh (16) - Construction and Specifications

Construction and Specifications

Edinburgh was built in Newcastle-upon-Tyne by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, her keel laid down on 30 December 1936. She was a fast cruiser, displacing 10,635 tonnes, and with an intended sea speed of 32.25 knots (59.73 km/h), reaching a maximum speed of thirty-three knots.

The ship was heavily armed for a light cruiser, with twelve 6 inch guns, twelve (later eight) 4 inch AA guns (along with her sistership, the heaviest 4-in battery among all the British cruisers), sixteen 2 pdr pom pom guns, sixteen Vickers anti-aircraft machine guns. Also, she carried six 21 inch torpedoes in a pair of triple racks, giving her an added punch.

Edinburgh was designed as a very modern vessel, equipped with an impressive radar array and fire-control systems, and the ability to carry up to three Supermarine Walrus seaplanes for reconnaissance, though she usually carried only two.

Her armour thickness statistics were 4.88 inches on the main belt, and 1.5 inches at its thinnest, the heaviest of all the British light cruisers. As with battlecruisers, light cruisers were intended to be fast enough to avoid being hit, negating the need for immensely thick armour like that found on the battleships of the day.