Exeter-class

Summary

Description

HMS Exeter was a York-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, built late in the 1920s. She was the second and last vessel in her class and spent the 1930s deployed across the Atlantic Fleet, the North America and West Indies Station, and briefly with the Mediterranean Fleet during the Abyssinia Crisis. With the onset of World War II, Exeter was engaged in patrols in South American waters to counter German commerce raiders.

The cruiser is historically notable for its participation in the Battle of the River Plate in 1939, where alongside two other British cruisers, she engaged the German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee. Severely damaged in this battle, Exeter required extensive repairs for over a year. Post-repair, she engaged primarily in convoy escort duties before her transfer to the Far East following Japan's entry into the war in December 1941. As part of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), she played a part in the defense of the Dutch East Indies in early 1942. Exeter’s participation in the Battle of the Java Sea was met with severe damage, and she was sunk in the subsequent Second Battle of the Java Sea. The majority of her crewmen were captured by the Japanese, with about a quarter perishing during their captivity. Her wreck, discovered in 2007, was destroyed by illegal salvagers by 2016.

Exeter’s design included improvements from her sister ship York, increasing her beam for better stability and designing straighter funnels for better flue gas dispersion. Innovations like fixed angled catapults for aircraft and a streamlined, enclosed bridge influenced later cruiser designs. Her propulsion was generated by four Parsons geared steam turbine sets and eight Admiralty 3-drum boilers, enabling speeds of up to 32 knots. The main armament comprised six BL eight-inch guns in three twin-gun turrets, augmented by anti-aircraft guns and torpedo tubes.

Modifications over the years included enclosing the main deck and installing fixed catapults for aircraft, as well as upgrading armaments and fire control systems, particularly during the repairs that followed the battle with Admiral Graf Spee. The addition of AA guns and radar systems strengthened her combat capabilities.

Laid down in 1928, launched in 1929, and completed in 1931, Exeter bore the name of four preceding Royal Navy ships. She undertook significant global deployments before and during the Second World War and was involved in various naval actions before her destruction.

Technical specifications

Photo of Exeter class