Blake

TIGER Class

 cruiser
Although laid down early on during WWII, these three ships were not completed until around 1960 to a new design. Rearmed, they mounted two state-of-the-art rapid firing 6" mounts, and what was possibly the ultimate anti-aircraft gun of the time, the Vickers 3"/70 Mk.6. The former could spit out 20 rounds per minute through its water-cooled barrels, and the latter could deliver 120 rounds per minutes per barrel (although it was limited to 90 rounds per minutes in service due to excessive barrel wear problems). Good though this gun was after the bugs were worked out, only these ships and RCN frigates ever mounted it in active service. Already obsolete when completed, two of the three TIGER's were again converted, this time with the removal of the aft 6" gun turret and the addition in its place of a helicopter hangar and landing deck. The two midships 3"/70 mounts were also removed, and in their place were installed Seacat launchers. A full new suite of sensors were added during this refit as well. With the new equipment, and their existing command and control facilities, they made excellent task group flagships until their large crews made them targets for disposal during the manpower shortages of the late 1970s. All three were promptly scrapped.

TIGER Class
Specifications
Displacement:
 11,700 tons full load (original), 12,080 tons full load (revised)
Dimensions:
 169.3 x 19.5 x 7.0 meters (555.5 x 64 x 23 feet)
Propulsion:
 4 shafts, Parsons geared steam turbines,
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 80,000 shp,
31.5 knots
Armour:
 Belt 3.5" - 3.25"
Bulkheads 2" - 1.5"
Turrets 2" - 1"
Crowns of engine room and magazines 2"
Crew:
 716


Aviation

Helicopters:
 Deck and hangar for 4 Westland Wessex (later Westland Sea King) helicopters

Surface Action

Guns:
 2 (later 1) - 6"/50 Mk.26 twin mounts
Radar:
 Type 992Q surface / low-level air search


Air Defence

Guns:
 2 (later 1) - 6"/50 Mk.26 twin mounts
3 (later 1) Vickers 3"/70 Mk.6 twin mounts
Missiles:
 2 Seacat GWS22 quad launchers (after refit)
Radar:
 Type 960 long range air search (replaced by Type 965 long range air search)
Type 992Q surface / low-level air search
Type 278 air search
Fire Control:
 Type 903 tracker for MRS3 (aft tracker removed during refit)


Undersea Warfare

Armament:
 Helicopter launched ASW torpedoes (post-refit)
Sonar:
 Type 174 medium range search
Type 176 passive search (shared common dome with Type 174)
Type 185 underwater telephone


Electronic Warfare

Attack:
ESM:
ComInt:


Ships:
 
Name
Pendant
Completed
Comments
Fate
TIGER
C 20
1959
 Ex-BELLEROPHON, refitted 1968-1972.
Disposed, 1979.
LION
C 34
1960
 Ex-DEFENCE, not refitted.
Scrapped 1975.
BLAKE
C 99
1961
Ex-TIGER, ex-BLAKE. Refitted 1965-1969.
Disposed 1981.

Photos:

 (click on thumbnail for bigger image) 
 

Tiger
Starboard view of TIGER, as she appeared when built. Note the appearance of the aft 6"/50 mount, as well as the starboard midships 3"/70 mount between the aft funnel and the aft mast. M.D. Thomas photo.
Tiger
Another broadside of the pre-refit TIGER, this time on the port side.  M.D. Thomas photo.
Blake
A portside view of BLAKE as converted. What this refit did for the usefullness of these ships, it took away in appearance. Note that the aft 6"/50 and 3"/70 mounts have been removed in favour of a large hangar and helo deck. The new Type 965 AKE-1 radar is also present now. M.D. Thomas photo.
Tiger and Blake
TIGER and BLAKE tied up together. This photo shows to good effect the changed appearance of the sterns of these ships, as well as the after end of the new hangar. M.D. Thomas photo.
Tiger
The forward Vickers 3"/70 Mk.6 gun mount on TIGER. This mount was fully automatic, and could be controlled remotely by the fire control system. M.D. Thomas photo.
Blake
The stern port quarter of BLAKE, again showing the new stern and hangar. M.D. Thomas photo.

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