Photo. www.wikipedia.org
Completed: 1937
Displacement: 9,100 tons standard, 11,350 tons full load
Length: 558 ft
Beam: 61,8 ft
Draught: 21,6 ft
Propulsion: Four-shaft Parsons geared turbines, Four Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 75,000 shp
Armament: 12× BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval guns triple mounts], 8 × 4" [double mounts]
4 × 3 pdr., 8 x 2 pdr. [quadruple mounts], Torpedo tubes: 6 × 21".
Complement: 748
Speed: 32 kts
On March 1st 1941, HMS Birmingham arrived at Freetown with WS6A.On 6th she sailed from Freetown as Convoy WS6 Ocean Escort during passage to Cape Town with HMS PHOEBE and HMS CATHAY. On 21st she was detached from WS6 on arrival at Cape Town. Joined 18th Cruiser Squadron for trade defence duties in South Atlantic.
After a brief period in North Atlantic, on June 4th she was transferred to South Atlantic as Flagship for ships engaged in trade defence. Nominated as Ocean Escort for Middle East WS military convoy during passage to Durban from Clyde. On 7th Joined Convoy WS9A with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser DUNOTTAR CASTLE. On 14th at Freetown with Convoy WS9A. On 20th she sailed from Freetown for Cape of Good Hope with WS9A.
On July 2nd at Cape Town. On 5th took passage to Durban as WS9A Ocean Escort. On 9th was detached from WS9A on relief by HM Cruiser HAWKINS. On 12th was deployed for commerce raider interception and trade defence. On August interception patrols and convoy defence deployment in southern oceans to December.
In 1942 January HMS Birmingham was deployed off Falklands with HM Armed Merchant Cruiser HMS ASTURIAS after Japan entered war to deter any possible attack. On February went under refit by HM Dockyard Simonstown, South Africa. 20mm Close Range AA armament fitted and Radar Type 284 for 6in main armament, fire control installed. Surface warning Type 286M Radar replaced by improved RN British equipment (Type 291) using rotating aerial instead of 'fixed' type used with Type 286.
After the end of hostilities HMS Birmingham continued in service to 1952 and in 1953 took part in United Nations naval operations off the west coast of Korea. She was put on the Disposal List and broken up in 1960 at Inverkeithing. This name continued in naval use when given to a Type 42 Destroyer which entered service in 1976 and maintained the close association with the City.
By www.naval-history.net
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