Editing County-class cruiser (section)

==Design and development==
The design of the class was led by [[Charles Lillicrap]], a member of the naval construction department of the [[Admiralty (United Kingdom)|Admiralty]].<ref>{{Cite ODNB|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/34532|title=Lillicrap, Sir Charles Swift}}</ref>

The 10,000-ton treaty cruisers were the first type of warships built to internationally agreed restrictions.<ref name="Marriot 2005">Marriot (2005)</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} These restrictions posed new engineering challenges and forced compromises upon designers in how to extract the best balance of speed, armament and protection.<ref name="lenton"/>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} The [[United States Navy]] adopted a design with [[gun turret|triple-gun turrets]], allowing the hull to be shortened thus saving weight that could be put into protection. This approach required increased power, as the speed of a ship is a function of the ratio of length to beam. The Royal Navy had a requirement for a vessel for colonial [[trade route]] defence, which required a good cruising range and speed and independent fighting power. This determined the need for a long hull and the use of four twin-gun turrets, with any remaining displacement invested in protection.

The design was conservative in nature, especially when compared to the contemporary [[Nelson-class battleship|''Nelson''-class]] battleships built to satisfy the same treaty. The long (630 feet [[Length overall|overall]]) hull was [[flush deck]]ed and with a high freeboard and was strongly built. This afforded high [[directional stability|initial stability]], which contributed to the protection scheme.<ref name="lenton"/><ref name="Marriot 2005"/>{{Pages needed|date=January 2020}} The machinery spaces followed the traditional layout of [[Boiler room (ship)|boiler rooms]] ahead of [[engine room]]s, separated by an amidships [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]]. The two boiler rooms exhausted into four uptakes, the central pair being combined to form a thickened central funnel. The three-funnel design was handsome but a somewhat impractical use of internal space.<ref name="lenton"/>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}}

As had been tested in the [[First World War]] Emerald class [[cruiser]] {{HMS|Enterprise|D52|6}}, whose completion had been delayed post-war, the Counties featured a new design of forward superstructure incorporating the navigating bridge, wheelhouse, signalling and compass platforms and [[Ship gun fire-control system|gunnery director]] in a block. This advance considerably rationalised the separate armoured conning tower and myriad of decks and platforms of older designs. Moving the fire-control equipment from the mast negated the need for a heavy tripod and light pole masts sufficed for signalling yards and the spread of [[Wireless telegraphy|wireless]] antennae.

===Armament===
The guns, [[British ordnance terms#BL|BL]] 8-inch (203&nbsp;mm) Mark VIII, were equally disposed in superfiring twin turrets fore and aft. The turret design was needlessly complicated by the original requirement that they should be capable of anti-aircraft fire and were thus provided with a maximum elevation of 70°, despite the inability to train and elevate sufficiently quickly to track aerial targets and the complete lack of a suitable fire control system.<ref name="lenton"/>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}}<ref name="navweaps">{{Cite web |last=DiGiulian |first=Tony |date=19 February 2022 |title=8"/50 (20.3&nbsp;cm) Mark VIII |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_8-50_mk8.php |website=NavWeaps}}</ref>

Secondary armament consisted of four [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=3}} Mark V guns]] in single mounts [[British ordnance terms#HA|HA]] Mk.III fed from the amidships magazine. There were quadruple-tube [[torpedo]] launchers, one each side, amidships. The single 4-inch Mk V guns were later replaced by Mk XVI guns in paired mountings. In a fruitless attempt to keep within treaty limits, the Mark XVI mounting was stripped down to reduce the weight, the result being the Mark XVII, an exercise described as "ridiculous punctiliousness".<ref name="Campbell">Campbell (2002)</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} They were later converted back to standard Mark XVI mounts. The initial design called for two octuple mountings for the 40&nbsp;mm [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|QF 2-pounder Mk.VIII]] anti-aircraft [[autocannon]] but as a weight-saving exercise these were not initially shipped and the existing QF 2-pounder Mark II was carried in lieu on four single mounts. Space was provided for a rotating catapult and a crane for operating aircraft, although again these were initially not provided.

===Protection===
The initial design left little weight to distribute amongst protection. Thus, the traditional side-belt of armour was dispensed with and the {{convert|1|in|mm|adj=on}} side plating was sufficient to only give protection against shell splinters. A {{convert|1.25|in|mm|adj=on}} protective deck covered the machinery spaces and there were "box citadels" protecting the magazines and shell rooms; {{convert|2.5|in|mm|adj=on}} crowns and {{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} sides, closed by 2.5-inch bulkheads. The aft box citadel had slightly reduced thicknesses at the ends and the citadel amidships had thinner armour as it lay within the confines of the armoured deck and side plating. There was a {{convert|1.5|in|mm|adj=on}} arch over the steering gear closed by a 1-inch-thick forward bulkhead. The turrets and barbettes received only thin splinter plating, as did the [[compass platform]]. There were external [[anti-torpedo bulge|bulges to provide torpedo protection]].