York and Exeter show the limits of buying smaller cruisers

The appeal of smaller warships begins with the need to cover many deployments, using a rough planning assumption of three hulls for each continuously deployed unit. York and Exeter show what happens when the promised savings fail to produce enough capable ships. These smaller Type B cruisers cost about 90 percent as much as a County-class cruiser, took years to design, and carried six rather than eight 8-inch guns. Their turrets became more expensive, and the ships were slower than their larger counterparts. Only two were built, and a shortage of cruisers meant the Royal Navy still sent them into the same demanding roles. Their crews fought hard, but the design delivered little saving in exchange for lower capability. They could have suited the needs of a smaller navy, while disappointing in the Royal Navy's principal cruiser role. Type 83's air-defence replacement task likewise has to govern the capability bought.