Tiger Class Cruisers (original) (raw)
Tiger Class Cruisers
During the Second World War (1939-1945) eight Minotaur Class Light Cruiserswere planned. Swiftsure, Minotaur, Bellerophon, Defence, Superb and Tiger were ordered under the 1941 Construction Programme, followed by Blake and Hawke under the 1942 Construction Programme. However the end of the War, coupled with the post-war economic crisis, led to the cancellation of many warships under construction or on the drawing board. In addition the war in Asia and the Pacific had highlighted the importance of aircraft carriers, and so the construction of light fleet carriers took priority over that of cruisers. Of the eight Minotaur Class Cruisers, Swiftsure and Superb were completed and commissioned into the Royal Navy, Minotaur was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy (RAN) upon completion and renamed Ontario, construction of Bellerophon, Defence and Blake was suspended, whilst in March 1946 Tiger and Hawke were cancelled altogether, the later being broken up on the slipway at Portsmouth.
The looming cancellation of later units at led numerous name changes, so that the best names would see service. Hence in 1945 Bellerophon was renamed Tiger, in 1957 Defence was renamed Lion and in 1944 Blake was renamed Tiger, only to be renamed Blake again in 1945.
As the Second World War ear cruisers reached the end of their operational lives, the status of Tiger, Lion and Blake was reconsidered and on October 15th 1954 it was announced work on the three cruisers would resume and they would be completed to a revised ‘Tiger Class’ design. The modified design mainly revolved around the inclusion of rapid fire automatic 3-inch and 6-inch gun turrets, originally envisaged for the abandoned ‘Minotaur Project’, instead of the three triple 6-inch gun turrets and five twin 4-inch turrets originally planned for the Minotaur Class.
As completed the three Tiger Class Cruisers had a standard displacement of 9,550 tons and displaced 11,700 tons fully loaded. They measured 169 metres in length, 19.5 metres in breath and 5.5 metres in draught. Equipped with four Admiralty 3-drum boilers and 4 shaft Parsons SP geared turbines, they had a speed of 31.5 knots. Armament consisted of two twin 6-inch gun turrets (one forward, one aft) and three twin 3-inch turrets (one forward, two amid ships). The automatic turrets could fire twenty rounds per minute- a rate twice as fast as that of any previous cruiser. They numbered 716 in complement and were fully air conditioned.
Tiger entered service in 1959, followed by Lion in 1960 and finally by Blake in 1961. Despite their sophisticated gun weaponry, the Tiger Class were in many ways already obsolete as more modern vessels were entering service with guided missiles. The three vessels were also manpower intensive, requiring a complement of over 700 officers and men. In the run up to the withdrawal from Malta the priority was to keep the Commando Carriers fully manned and operational. This, coupled with the need to man more modern vessels, led to Blake entering reserve in 1963- less than two years after she first commissioned. She was followed by Lion in 1964 and by Tiger in 1966.
During the 1960s there was a requirement for fast helicopter carrying ships to accompany the fleet and supplement the aircraft carriers. To fulfil this role Tiger and Blake underwent major conversions into Helicopter Cruisers equipped for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations. The conversion involved the reconstruction of the stern: the aft twin 6-inch gun turret was removed and hanger and flight deck facilities were added for four Wessex or Sea King helicopters. Below the flight deck offices, workshops, a briefing room, mess decks and cabins were added. Provision was also made onboard for a detachment of Royal Marine Commandos, who could be transferred ashore by helicopter, and hence Tiger and Blake also had a role as ‘Commando Cruisers’. Other modifications included the installation of SeaCat anti-aircraft missile launchers amidships in place of the two twin 4-inch gun turrets, which meant Blake and Tiger were the Royal Navy’s first, and last, guided missile cruisers. Finally, extensive command and control facilities were added, giving Tiger and Blake flagship capabilities suited to leading task groups on world-wide deployments. Tiger demonstrated the flagship capability in 1977 when she led a world wide deployment of a nuclear submarine, six frigates and three RFAs to South America (see picture).
The conversions left Tiger and Blake some 380 tons heavier with a full displacement of 12,080 tons and their complements increased by 169 to 885. During conversion they had lost their much loved sleek cruiser lines and their new appearance was criticised for being an ungainly and inelegant ‘push me-pull me’ design, and both vessels were soon nicknamed ‘Ugly Ducklings’. Originally Lion was also to have been converted, although this never materialised: Blake’s conversion had been more expensive than envisaged (�5.5 million) and so funds were no longer available. Ironically Tiger’s conversion coast even more (�13.25 million), such was the level of inflation at the time. Lion was subsequently sold for breaking up.
With Ark Royal’s entry into reserve, Tiger and Blake were the only major Royal Navy vessels capable of performing the fundamental anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role. The conversion had given Tiger and Blake between fifteen and twenty years further service, but by the late 1970s the Royal Navy was suffering a major manpower crisis. With the recommissioning of Hermes and Bulwark as ASW Carriers, Tiger and Blake entered reserve. When Blake decommissioned in 1979 she had the distinction of being the last cruiser to serve the Royal Navy and her passing was marked on December 6th 1979, when she ceremonially fired her 6-inch guns for the last time in the English Channel. Blake was then sold for breaking up in 1982, followed by Tiger in 1986.
Class Details
| Name | Pennant | Deck Code | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger | C24 | TG | John Brown (Clydebank) | October 1st 1941 | October 25th 1945 | March 18th 1959 |
| Lion | C34 | n/a | Scotts (Greenock) | June 24th 1942 | September 2nd 1944 | July 20th 1960 |
| Blake | C99 | BL | Fairfield (Govan) | August 17th 1942 | December 20th 1945 | March 18th 1961 |
Ship Histories
| Ship | History |
|---|---|
| Tiger | Ordered as Bellerophon but renamed Tiger in 1945. Laid down by John Brown & Co. Ltd. at Clydebank on October 1st 1941 and launched on October 25th 1945 by Lady Stansgate, wife of Viscount Stansgate, the Secretary of State for Air. Work was then suspended and Tiger was laid up at Dalmuir. On October 15th 1954 it was announced work would resume on Tiger and her two sisterships and she was completed on March 18th 1959. Between 1962 and 1963 Tiger was deployed in the Far East during which she acted as Flagship for Borneo Operations. In December 1966 Tiger hosted talks at Gibraltar between Harold Wilson and Ian Smith on the future of Rhodesia, following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. She paid off in December 1966 and remained in reserve until 1968. Between 1968 and 1972 Tiger underwent a �13.25 million conversion into a Helicopter Cruiser at Devonport Dockyard. She recommissioned on July 2nd 1972 and her new ungainly appearance earned her the nickname ‘Ugly Duckling’. In 1973 sister ship Lion was stripped for spare parts and equipment and sufficient equipment was salvaged for Tiger for her to be nicknamed 'Liger’. Along with sistership Blake, Tiger attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead. Tiger paid off 20th April 1978 and remained in reserve at Portsmouth until 1979 when she was placed on the disposal list. On September 23rd 1986 Tiger left Portsmouth under tow for breaking up by Desquaces Varela in Spain, arriving on September 28th 1986. She had spent less than 14 years in operational service and steamed only 400,000 miles. |
| Lion | Laid down as Defence by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. at Greenock on June 6th 1942 and launched on September 2nd 1944 Lady Edelson. Work was suspended and Defence was laid up at Gareloch in Scotland from 1946. On October 15th 1954 it was announced that work would resume on Defence and she was completed on July 20th 1960 by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend-upon-Tyne and commissioned as Lion, having been renamed in 1957. In September 1964 Lion was present at the Maltese Independence celebrations. Lion undertook a period of reserve at Devonport from 1964 until 1972, when she was placed on the disposal list- plans to convert her along the lines of Tiger and Blake having been cancelled. On May 15th 1973 she arrived at Rosyth and was subsequently stripped of parts and equipment for use with Tiger and Blake. Lion was sold for breaking up on February 12th 1975 for a cost of �262,500. On April 24th 1975 Lion arrived at Inverkeithing where she was scrapped by Wards. Some equipment from her was salvaged and sold to Peru for use with their former British Colony Class Cruisers. |
| Blake | Laid down as Blake but renamed Tiger in 1944 before reverting to Blake again in 1945. Blake was laid down at Govan by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. and launched on December 20th 1945 by Lady Jean Blake, wife of Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Blake. Work was then suspended and Blake was laid up at Gareloch. On October 15th 1954 it was announced work would resume on Blake she was completed on March 18th 1961- the last cruiser completed for the Royal Navy. Blake entered reserve on February 21st 1963- the extensive specialist manpower required to operate these vessels was urgently needed to man more modern ships and, in anticipation of the withdrawal from Malta, to man the Commando Carriers. Blake was converted into a Helicopter Cruiser at Portsmouth Dockyard between 1965 and 1969 and she commissioned on April 23rd 1969. In 1966 during the conversion a major fire broke out causing much damage. This, together with other factors, considerably escalated the cost of the conversion. In 1969 Blake deployed to Gibraltar along with other Royal Navy units in order to ‘fly the flag’ in response to Spanish hostility following the closure of the Spanish-Gibraltan border by General Franco. Also in 1969 a Royal Air Force (RAF) Harrier jet landed on Blake. In 1971 Blake assisted Commando Carrier Bulwark with the withdrawal from Malta. Together with Tiger, Blake attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead. On December 6th 1979 Blake paid off at Portsmouth Dockyard. She had the distinction of being the last cruiser in Royal Naval service and marked this by firing her 6-inch guns in the English Cannel. Blake underwent a refit at Rosyth and arrived at Chatham on May 13th 1980 where she entered the Standby Squadron. John Nott’s 1981 Defence Review (‘The Way Forward’), signalled the closure of Chatham Dockyard and along with it the Standby Squadron and all remaining vessels were put up for disposal. Blake was sold August 25th 1982 for breaking up to Shipbreaking (Queenborough) Ltd for �210,000. On October 29th 1982 she was towed from Chatham for Cairnryan, arriving November 7th 1982. |
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� Written and researched by Jeremy Olver. First uploaded 15th January 2001. Updated 15th January 2001. Disclaimer.