Belfast

History

Design

Belfast and her sister Edinburgh were designed as modified Town class cruisers, being the third (or Edinburgh sub-class). This sub-class was significantly larger than the previous Southampton and Gloucester sub-classes, being approximately 1,200 tons heavier than the preceding Gloucester sub-class.

The ships of the Town class were constructed in response to the Japanese Mogami and American Brooklyn class cruisers, which were both armed with fifteen 6-inch (152mm or 155mm) guns. British ship designers sought to match the other cruisers’ number of guns, but due to length restrictions, were unable to properly fit five turrets onto the ships. Another plan that was developed called for the Edinburgh class to be mounted with quadruple 6-inch turrets; however, this idea was abandoned due to the difficulties in manufacturing such a turret that performed adequately. Ultimately, the new cruisers were mounted with twelve 6-inch (152mm) guns in four triple turrets, arranged in an A-B-X-Y position. However, a new turret, designated the Mk.XXIII was used, which used more powerful motors and a more efficient 'long trunk' ammunition supply, which could provide between 10 to 12 shells to the gun per minute. The effective maximum rate of fire stayed the same as earlier cruisers however, at 8 rounds per minute. The new Mk.XXIII triple turret is easily distinguishable from the earlier Mk.XXII used on the previous Town class cruisers by the flattened edge between the turret roof and face, as opposed to a curved edge.

Belfast & Edinburgh, like preceding cruisers, were designed to have armor capable of protecting the ships against 152mm caliber gunfire. The ship featured a smaller magazine and citadel space compared to previous cruisers. This shortened length allowed for more armor to be mounted around the machinery and weaponry spaces. Additionally, the Edinburgh sub-class carried more powerful machinery than previous Southampton sub-class, which allowed her to maintain the designed speed of 32 knots, despite her increased displacement. Her increased fuel capacity, granted the ship an extended range over the older Town class ships. Both Edinburgh and Belfast would receive upgraded radar systems and increased anti-aircraft capabilities at the beginning of World War II.

Other differences from the other Town class cruisers included the aircraft catapult being in front of the forward funnel instead of behind it, and the addition of 2 more twin 4-inch (102mm) dual-purpose mounts bringing the total to three dual mounts per broadside. The larger size of the ship also allowed the octuple 40mm 'pompom' mounts to be fitted, as opposed to the earlier Town class receiving quadruple 40mm 'pompom' mounts.

Belfast was laid down at the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 10 December 1936. She was launched on 17 March 1938 and spent the following year fitting out and beginning her sea trials.

Service

HMS Belfast entered service in August 1939, with further trials and testing scheduled when World War Two began one month later. Assigned to the 18th Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet alongside her sister ship, HMS Edinburgh, Belfast participated in interception and interdiction missions alongside HMS Hood, designed to destroy whatever elements of the German fleet could be found. These efforts proved mostly unsuccessful, gaining the confiscation of the liner Cap Norte as the only success.

In November 1939, Belfast was transferred to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, and that same month was nearly sunk after striking a German mine. The explosion damaged nearly all her machinery mountings, many hull plates below the waterline, and most importantly, bent the keel. Repairs would, of necessity, be long. During the time under repair, Edinburgh was lost, leaving Belfast as the largest light cruiser in the Royal Navy.

Belfast did not sail again for three years, leaving the dockyards in December 1942 with significant upgrades. Her armor plating was extended and new 20mm 'Oerlikon' anti-aircraft mounts shipped in eight single and five twin mounts. Additionally, a new radar suite installed, comprising of Types 283, 284, 285, 273, 251, 252, 281 and 242 radars. The latter two improvements comprised sufficient top-side weight that she was also bulged, providing a measure of torpedo protection to complement the added stability, which increased her beam to 21 meters, and displacement to 11,500 tons standard, and 14,900 tons on a full load. Belfast returned to the Home Fleet and conducted escort duty for the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union, being made flagship of the 10th Cruiser Squadron. Her aircraft were landed in June 1943, her radars reducing the need for surveillance, and in October she provided cover for the aircraft carrier USSRanger which performed strikes on German shipping in Norwegian waters.

Serving as the flagship for Rear-Admiral Burnett, Belfast was part of a group of eight destroyers and three cruisers protecting convoy JW-55B in December 1943 which saw Belfast as a participant in the Battle of the North Cape in which the German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk. Protecting JW-55B with HMS Sheffield and HMS Norfolk, the three cruisers held off the Scharnhorst twice from the convoy, although the sea state was limiting speed to 24 knots. After the second attempt by Scharnhorst the battleship made for port, leaving the cruisers to pursue her and bring her in range of the battleship Duke of York. Both Sheffield and Norfolk developed engine problems and droppedg back, leaving Belfast in a precarious position as the only ship keeping contact with Scharnhorst for a time. However, once Duke of York was in range, Belfast fired star shells to illuminate the German battleship and Duke of York brought her under accurate fire. Although Scharnhorst put distance between herself and the British ships, a shell from Duke of York disabled her No. 1 boiler room, reducing her speed. At 19:15, Belfast re-opened fire on Scharnhorst, and later on in the battle expended her torpedoes into the stricken and burning Scharnhorst before she sank.

Belfast returned to England for a hurried refit, rejoining the fleet as the headquarters ship of the Eastern Fleet in April 1944 in time for the Normandy landings of Operation Overlord. During the landings, Belfast conducted naval gunfire support missions, remaining on station until July 1944. She fired 1,996 rounds of 6-inch (152mm) ammunition during this time in support of allied ground troops. Belfast returned to dockyards in England in August for a more thorough refit in preparation for deployment to the Pacific Theater. During this time her anti-aircraft suite was modified, the rear most pair of dual-purpose twin 4-inch (101.6mm) guns were removed, and 4 quarduple and 4 single 40mm 'pompom' mounts were added, as well as remote power control for the remaining 4-inch guns. The catapult was finally removed during this refit too.

Belfast arrived in the Pacific, and while in Sydney in August 1945, replaced two twin 20mm Oerlikon mounts with four single 40mm 'Bofors' mounts to further her anti-aircraft power. Japan was concluding surrender negotiations during late August 1945; subsequently, Belfast did not see action. Although put in reserve in 1947, she returned to service the following year as part of the Far Eastern forces of the Royal Navy, where she participated in the Korean War, conducting patrols and naval gunfire support missions and firing over 8,000 rounds from her 6-inch guns. While carrying out such duties, she earned respect from an American admiral, calling Belfast a 'straight-shooting ship'. She was however, hit once by a 75mm shell from shore in July 1952, which killed one man and wounded four more. By the end of the year, Belfast had been sent back home and placed in reserve again, her shore bombardment duties having been passed onto HMS Birmingham and HMS Newcastle. In 1955, it was decided that Belfast would be modernized, and sent to undergo extensive refit. The refit included a distinctive new bridge structure, new radars, and the replacement of previous anti-aircraft armament with six twin RP50 Mk.V mount 40mm 'Bofors'. Lattice masts were also fitted, as well as steps to protect the ship from nuclear or biological weapons. Reactivated after refit in 1959, she returned to Asian and African waters until 1962 when she left for home to serve her final year of active service as flagship of the Home Fleet, visiting American ports on the way home. Belfast was finally retired from active service in 1963, although in July/August 1963 she was briefly recommissioned with a crew of Royal Naval Reserves and Sea Cadets. By December, she was back in reserve, and between 1966 and 1970, served as an accommodation ship in Portsmouth.

In July 1967, Imperial War Museum personnel dined aboard Belfast while investigating the possibility of preserving one of the 6-inch gun turrets from HMS Gambia, anchored nearby. During the meal, they conceived of the idea of preserving not just a turret, but an entire ship as a living museum. Belfast was the perfect candidate; she was in relatively good shape having only recently been retired. Their initial efforts failed to convince the British government of the value of the concept, however, and on 4 May 1971, HMS Belfast was scheduled for disposal.

Led by the efforts of one of Belfast’s final commanding officers — then a serving Member of Parliament — the ship was finally saved from the breakers in July by a private foundation and opened to the public as a museum on Trafalgar Day, 21 October 1971, berthed along the south bank of the Thames in central London. She officially became a branch of the Imperial War Museum in 1978, and now hosts more than 250,000 visitors per year as one of the best preserved warships of the modern era.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Belfast is represented accurately in her post 1956-1959 refit condition, during which she was rearmed with six twin 40mm 'bofors' RP50 Mk.V mounts as anti-aircraft defence, as well as receiving structural changes such as the lattice mast and bridge structure.
• The premium camouflage for Belfast is accurate for the camouflage scheme she wore in late 1943 at the Battle of the North Cape. The union flag on B-turret however dates from the Korean war. The pennant number 'C35' also being painted onto the ship was only done during her final stint in service from 1959 to 1963.

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  HMS Belfast at her London berth, painted in Admiralty pattern Disruptive Camouflage.

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  One of Belfast’s Supermarine Walrus aircraft, photographed in an Icelandic fjord, 1942-1943.

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  Photograph of Belfast’s damaged hull, taken while the ship was drydocked for repairs.

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  Admiral Burnett in his cabin aboard HMS Belfast.

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  HMS Belfast’s 4-inch guns bombarding German positions in Normandy at night.

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  Belfast at anchor in Sydney Harbour, August 1945.

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  Belfast arriving at Kure, southern Japan, in May 1950.

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  March 1951: Belfast fires a salvo against enemy troop concentrations on the west coast of Korea.

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  HMS Belfast underway off of South Korea, 5 August 1952.

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  After modernization; showing the enclosed bridge, lattice mast, and twin 40mm Bofors mountings.

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  Belfast at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1962.

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  Belfast’s permanent home on the Thames, seen here with Tower Bridge in the background.

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  HMS Portland, a Royal Navy frigate, is moored alongside HMS Belfast prior to deployment.

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  The view of the Belfast's turrets from the bridge.

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  HMS Belfast resting at night on the Thames River, with the Tower Bridge in the background.

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  A trip to the dentist can be dangerous in any location.

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  6-inch shells are laid out and ready to be loaded into elevators on the lowest level of B turret. Belfast fired some 2,000 rounds of such ammunition in support of the D-Day landings.

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  The breech of the central 6-inch gun inside Y turret.

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  The ship's bell of HMS Belfast, presented to the crew her by her namesake city of Belfast, Ireland in October 1948.

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  HMS Belfast is a museum ship maintained by the Imperial War Museum.