HMS Enterprise's experimental twin six-inch turret provides the basis for a hypothetical rebuild of both Enterprise and HMS Emerald. Two twin six-inch turrets would be supplemented by three or perhaps four twin 4.5-inch mounts and more two-pounder pom-poms. The ships lose some original six-inch firepower but gain stronger dual-purpose and close-range anti-aircraft batteries. They would still fall short of an ideal new cruiser. As wartime conversions, however, they could escort convoys, challenge surface raiders, and work closer to an active war zone than unimproved third-line ships. The proposal accepts an imperfect armament layout to obtain useful second-line cruisers from hulls already available.
Chapter · 31:56-35:34
Rebuilding E-class cruisers for raider and convoy work
The proposed E-class rebuild combines twin six-inch turrets, 4.5-inch guns, and close-range anti-aircraft weapons to create useful second-line cruisers.