Why was HMS Sheffield fitted with stainless steel instead of brass, and was the practice repeated?
Short answerStainless steel was cheaper and especially appropriate for a ship named after a major steel-producing city, but it was not widely repeated at the time.
NotesHMS Sheffield received stainless-steel fittings where brass was more customary. The practice was not generally extended to her contemporary sisters. Stainless steel was cheaper, but the selection also suited a ship named for one of the world's leading steel-producing cities. The detail connected an ordinary material decision with the civic identity embodied in a Town-class name.