The cruiser Suffolk was built under the 1924-1925 estimates at Portsmouth and launched on 16th february 1926. Her designer, Sir Eustace Tennyson d`Eycourt, made no attempt to achieve the high speeds of some of the contemporay foreighn vessels but concentrated on first rate sea going qualities. In service the Suffolk and the orther cruisers of the Kent class were extremely succesful, having a great structural strength and protection together with the ability to maintain the designed speed indefinitley and in all weathers, HMS Suffolk and their sister ships were heavily armed. the 8in guns of her main armament being heavier and having a beter range than the average cruiser and having a rate of fire of four rounds per gun per minute. between 1935 and 1938 cruisers of the Kent class were reconstructed. Suffolk in particular being extensively altered. A large aircraft hangar was added, a fixed catapult installed, new ant-aircraft guns fitted and the hull cut down aft to compensate for the additional weight. HMS Suffolk was in action throughout the second World War, first seeing action in April, 1940, during the German invasion of Norway, when she bombarded Stavanger airfield and was herself under constant air attack for seven hours. I May 1941, Suffolk took part in her most famous action when she and the Norfolk were ordered to the Demark straits to search for the Bismarck. The Suffolk, under command of Captain R.M.Ellis, first sighted the Bismarck and the German cruiser Prinz Eugen and the British cruisers remained within range of the German guns for most of the 30 hours in wich they were shadowing the enemy across nearly 1.000 miles of ocean. Later in the war HMS Suffolk operated in the Arctic and when the war ended she was in action with the Eastern Fleet off Burma. Afther 22 years of service the Suffolk was srapped at Newport in 1948. HMS Suffolk had a length of 630ft, a beam of 68ft and a draught of 16ft, dispacement was 9.800 tons. Her armament consisited of eight 8-inch guns, eight 4 inch guns and a variety of smaller anti-aircraft weapons. She carried up to four aircraft and her normal complement was 679. The parrsons geared turbines of 80.000shp gave a speed of 31,5 knots.

HMS Manxman

Famous for the fast, unescorted runs to Malta during the Second World War with essential equiment and supplies HMS Manxman was one of six cruiser minelayers in the Abdiel class. Laid down on March 24th 1939 she was completed on june 20th, 1941. Able to attain a speed of 40 knots from her 72.000 shp two shaft geared turbines, Manxmans high speed and her heavy AA armament enabled her to undertake many hazardous missions including at one stape posing as a Vichy French cruiser in order to drop secret agents into occupied France. Attacked frequently and one occasion torpedoed and badly damaged, HMS Manxman sailed on the survive the war being converted in 1962-1963 into a minesweeper support ship. Overall length 418ft, displacement: 2,650 tons, Wartime armament consisted of six 4.7in, four 2pdr AA, eight 5in, four 4in AA, four 20mm AA and twelve 20mm AA guns, 156 mines could be carried while the ship`s complement consisted of 242/246 officers and men

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