Thunderchild class light cruiser

Canadian light cruiser HMCS Saskatchewan (C74) at sea.

The Thunderchild-class light cruisers were a class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy. The Thunderchild-class cruisers were designed as a heavily modified version of the Crown Colony-class incorporating war modifications and authorised in 1940.

The class played a significant part in the latter half of the Second World War. Thunderchild, 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.

A fourteenth Thunderchild-class cruiser was cancelled during construction, but was sold to the ROC and completed as ROCS Taiwan.

The Thunderchild-class is the OTL Neptune-class light cruiser proposal.

Specifications

• Type: Light Cruiser
• Service Period: 1943-1972
• Characteristics:
  • Length: 662 feet (201.78 meters)
  • Beam: 76 feet (23.17 meters)
  • Draft: 24 feet 9 inches (7.54 meters)
  • Displacement: 15,350 tons (Standard); 18,700 tons (Full Load)
• Crew: 1,050
• Propulsion: 4 x Admiralty 3-drum 650 psi boilers, 4 x Parsons 4-shaft geared steam turbines, 108,000 shp (81,000 kW)
• Range: 7,500 nautical miles (13,890 kilometers) at 20 knots (37.04 km/h)
• Speed: 33 knots (61.12 km/h)
• Armament:
  • 12 x QF 6"/50-caliber Mk.N5 high angle naval guns (4x3)
  • 12 x QF 4.5"/45-caliber Mk.V dual purpose naval guns (6x2)
  • 20 x Bofors 40mm/60-caliber anti-aircraft guns (10x2)
  • 16 x 21" torpedo tubes (4x4)
• Armour:
  • Belt: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
  • Deck: 2.5-inches (63.5 mm)
  • Turrets: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
  • Magazines: 2.75-inches (69.85 mm)
  • Bulkheads: 4-inches (101.6 mm)

Unit Run

Royal Navy

• HMS Thunderchild (C53)
• HMS Swiftsure (C08)
• HMS Superb (C25)
• HMS Hawke (C27)
• HMS Blake (C50)
• HMS Tiger (C92)
• HMS Defence (C34)
• HMS Lion (C99)
• HMS Bellerophon (C94)
• HMS Mars (C72)
• HMS Edgar (C91)
• HMS Neptune (C87)
• HMS Centurion (C100)

Royal Canadian Navy

• HMCS Saskatchewan (C71)
• HMCS New Brunswick (C72)
• HMCS Alberta (C73)
• HMCS Prince Edward Island (C74)
• HMCS Manitoba (C75)

Republic of China Navy

• ROCS Taiwan