The class was broadly similar in dimensions and power to earlier Counties, with a 31.5-knot top speed and a lighter full-load displacement than the Kents. Its belt protection followed the lighter London pattern, while the ships retained torpedoes, four-inch guns, pom-poms, and machine guns. The intended lighter Mark II eight-inch guns instead proved heavier and could not reach the hoped-for high elevation. That mismatch shows how a paper improvement in one subsystem can disturb the displacement, protection, and armament balance of an otherwise evolutionary design.
Notable Point · 3:58-6:25
Norfolk-class design within the County family
Norfolk retained the County pattern while balancing speed, displacement, armour, and the troublesome Mark II eight-inch guns.