Editing County-class cruiser (section)

===''London'' class===
The second group, the four ships of the ''London'' class ({{HMS|Devonshire|39|2}}, {{HMS|London|69|2}}, {{HMS|Shropshire|73|2}} and {{HMS|Sussex|96|2}}), closely followed the design of the ''Kent''s. The external bulges were not present, reducing the beam by {{convert|2|ft|m}}, and the hull was lengthened by {{convert|2|ft|9|in|m}}; these changes translated into a {{Fraction||3|4}}-knot increase in speed. To remedy the loss of the bulge protection, there was a second skin of inner plating to provide the same effect. The bridge was moved aft to lessen the effects of muzzle blast from B turret when the guns were trained [[Glossary of nautical terms (A-L)#abaft the beam|abaft the beam]]. They had heightened funnels as built. The aircraft and catapult had been fitted by 1932.

In all ships but ''Sussex'', four 4-inch guns were added in single mountings abreast the funnels. The single 2-pounder guns were removed, and two quadruple mounts for 0.5-inch Vickers machine guns were added. ''Shropshire'' acquired an additional anti-aircraft fire control director. Early in the war, the additional 4-inch guns were removed, and the original 4-inch guns altered to the Mark XVI twin mounts. The octuple 2-pounder guns that had originally been designed in were also finally added.

From 1938 to 1941, ''London'' received an altogether more comprehensive modernisation. Her upperworks were removed and replaced by new fore and aft superstructures and two upright funnels modelled on the contemporary {{sclass2|Crown Colony|cruiser|0}} cruisers. The forward superstructure block incorporated a large hangar opening onto an athwartships catapult between the superstructure blocks. There was a catapult on either side of the after funnel. The 4-inch anti-aircraft guns were replaced by twin mountings and relocated to the after superstructure, with the torpedoes a deck below. The 2-pounder guns were carried on the hangar roof and the multiple Vickers guns mounted, one each, on the roofs of "B" and "X" turrets. A {{convert|3.5|in|mm|adj=on}} belt, {{convert|8|ft|m}} deep, was added abreast the machinery spaces, extending up to the armoured deck. However, the hull had originally been carefully designed to reduce weight based on the initial arrangements. The modifications to ''London'' added heavy weights fore and aft and severely overstressed the hull. As a result cracks and loose rivets began to appear on the upper deck. The upper deck was reinforced, which caused the stress to be transmitted through the lower hull instead and cracks began to appear under the waterline. It took underwater reinforcements and refits extending into 1943 to remedy the situation.<ref name="lenton"/><ref name="Marriot 2005"/>{{Pages needed|date=January 2020}}

The outbreak of war prevented what had ended up being a rather fruitless cosmetic rebuild being extended to the rest of her sisters, as had originally been intended. The remaining ''London''s thus never received side armouring or the improved aircraft complement.

During wartime refits, the last three ''London''s underwent similar alterations as the ''Kent''s did, having their eight {{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=3}} torpedo tubes removed, and "X" {{convert|8|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=3}} turret removed, although both ''London'' and ''Shropshire'' retained it. ''Shropshire'', unlike her two un-converted sisters retained her torpedo armament, and was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in early 1943 to replace ''Canberra''.