HMS Norfolk (78)

Norfolk in wartime camouflage. As she still has an X turret, this photo is pre-1944.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Norfolk
Namesake	Norfolk
Builder	Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd, Govan
Laid down	8 July 1927
Launched	12 December 1928
Commissioned	30 April 1930
Identification	Pennant number: 78
Honours and awards	Atlantic 1941 Bismarck Action 1941 North Africa 1942 Arctic 1943 North Cape 1943 Norway 1943
Fate	Sold for scrapping on 3 January 1950
General characteristics
Class and type	County-class heavy cruiser
Displacement	9,925 long tons (10,084 t) (standard) 13,450 long tons (13,670 t) (full load)
Length	632 ft 7 in (192.81 m)
Beam	66 ft (20 m)
Draught	17 ft (5.2 m)
Installed power	80,000 shp (60,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × Parsons Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines 8 × boilers 4 × shafts
Speed	32.25 knots (59.73 km/h; 37.11 mph)
Range	12,370 nmi (14,240 mi; 22,910 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement	710
Armament	8 × 8 in (203 mm) guns (4x2) 8 × 4 in (102 mm) guns (4x2) 16 × 2 pdr guns (2x8)
Armour	magazines: up to 2.5 in (64 mm) Turrets: 1 in (25 mm)
Aircraft carried	2 × Supermarine Walrus flying boats (operated by 700 Naval Air Squadron)

HMS Norfolk was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. The ship was the Lead ship of the Norfolk-subclass of which only two were built: Norfolk and Dorsetshire. She served throughout the Second World War. During 1939-41 she operated in the Atlantic against German raiders and blockade runners. In March 1940 she was damaged by German dive bomber in the anchorage of Scapa Flow.

In May 1941 Norfolk and her sister ship Suffolk detected the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen whilst on patrol in Denmark Strait. The two cruisers guided the battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Hood to the German ships, but in the Battle of the Denmark Strait on 24 May, Hood was sunk and both Prince of Wales and Bismarck were damaged. Norfolk and Suffolk kept contact with the German ships and guided the Home Fleet to the scene. Norfolk directed a torpedo bomber attack from Victorious to the Bismarck, but these aircraft could only score one insignificant hit on Bismarck. Finally Bismarck shook off the shadowing Norfolk, Suffolk and Prince of Wales, and headed to port in France. When Bismarck was found back on 26 May, Norfolk was one of the few ships left with enough fuel, to continue the pursuit of Bismarck. In the evening of 26 may, torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal rendered Bismarck steerless, allowing her persuers to catch up. In the morning of 27 May, the battleships Rodney and King George V, Norfolk and the heavy cruisers Devonshire destroyed the Bismarck with gunfire and torpedoes.

From 1942 onwards she operated in the Arctic, usually as part of the close covering force of Arctic convoys to Russia, where she was involved in the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst.during the Battle of the North Cape.