HMS Bristol (CLM-1911)

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Oldest cruisers in the Royal Navy, these ships really survived because of the duties they undertook and the various Stations they served at. Being sent to one of these ships was akin to punishment details. In saying that these ships provided a very good service as the local minelayer. The world has various 'choke' points where ships need to come close to land and where mines play a vital role of control.

The original layout of the ships made them a good ship to convert to the minelaying tasks. The single 6" fore and aft were kept while 4 of the 4" guns were fitted to AA mounts and resited. A few automatic weapons in 20mm & 40mm were fitted to provide the rest of the AA armament during later refits in the 1930's.

With the single 4" removed it is very visible that the mine rails can be run from just under the bridge right through to the rear of the ship. Not being slated for offensive minelaying these ships speed at 25 knots was more than adequate for their role. The ships were converted from coal to oil firing during the 1920's.

The choke points noted above are, English Channel, Scotland up to the Orkneys, Straits of Gibraltar, Singapore, Cape of Good Hope, gaps between islands into the Caribbean Sea, and other minor places where mines can control the area.

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