Swiftsure's reconstruction exposed a weakened hull

Swiftsure served as a cruiser-squadron flagship at Truk, the Sakishima Islands, and Hong Kong, then entered an ambitious postwar reconstruction. A 1953 collision with the destroyer Diamond caused a fire in the bridge cable trunk and damaged her electrical systems before the major work began. The new bridge later compressed the wartime-built hull by more than eighteen inches, forcing extensive internal stanchions to prevent further collapse. Planners had assumed that a structure tolerated by the larger, more heavily built Belfast would also suit Swiftsure, despite warnings about their different construction. The resulting cost and structural risk undermined proposals for automatic guns, Sea Slug, or a helicopter conversion.