Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 31:56-32:17

More new cruisers could accelerate C-class anti-aircraft conversions

A much larger new cruiser program might send older C-class ships to reserve or scrap, but treaty rules also make earlier anti-aircraft conversion attractive.

Anti-Aircraft CruisersC Class CruisersFleet ModernisationInterwar PeriodRoyal Navy
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Question

If Britain obtained forty new C-class cruisers and twenty new light cruisers, would the older C-class ships go into reserve or be scrapped?

Short answer

Some probably would, but treaty flexibility could instead prompt earlier conversion of surviving C-class ships into anti-aircraft cruisers.

Notes

Some older C-class cruisers could move to reserve or disposal as new ships arrive. The timing of the construction peak matters because treaty rules could permit retention of overage cruisers. That creates a useful alternative to immediate scrapping. Britain might convert the old hulls into anti-aircraft cruisers earlier than it did historically.