IRN Almirante Cervera (CL-1917 (1929/1934-mod))
The Almirante Cervera class were originally to be a class of four ships, but the last two were completed to a modified design (see Mendez Nunez). The ships design was based on an improved Birmingham class light cruiser. These were classed as broadside cruisers like others of the Commonwealth "Town" classes. However elements of the later "C" type light cruisers were worked into the design while still under construction. The ships were ordered as escorts to the Eugenia class super-dreadnoughts. Because of WW1 the ships took over five years to complete which was slow even by Iberian standards. The main redesign area was to put a superfiring set of 6" guns at the rear of the ship, saving one mounting and making for easier servicing of the gun with amunition.
The ships were only 10 years old when the Almirante Cervera underwent its first major modernisation. The major part of this was the removal of the two single 6" guns mounted forward and replacing them with a twin turret of the same kind as was to be fitted to the Navarra Class cruisers. The guns had their shields removed and were resited into the new turret. 20mm guns for AA defence were added to the Cervera during the late 1930's early 1940's.
The Almirante Cordova was to have followed the Cervera in being rebuilt with the twin turret forward. However the Navy got caught up in the monetary crash of 1929 and no money was available to modernise the ship till 1933. By that stage the new 4.5" weapon system was being manufactured in Iberia and a chance to redesign the cruiser with the much faster firing gun was taken. Nothing was lost in range as the new weapon fired as far as the older 6" gun type fitted to the Cervera Class. As an AA cruiser the Cordova spent its time escorting the battlefleet to provide AA cover.
| Displacement | 5,800 tons std, 7,250 tons full load | |
| Length | 450 ft | |
| Breadth | 50 ft | |
| Draught | 19 ft | |
| Machinery | 2 shaft geared turbines, 30,000shp | |
| Speed | 27 knots | |
| Range | 4000 at 12 knots | |
| Armour | 3" side, 1" deck | |
| Armament | As 1929 mod 8 x 6" (1x2 6x1) 4 x 3" (4x1) 8 x 20mm (3x2 2x1) |
As 1935 mod 8 x 4.5" (4x2) 8 x 2pd (2x4) 16 x 20mm (7x2 2x1) |
| Torpedoes | 8 x 21" (4x2) | 4 x 21" (2x2) |
| Complement | 450 | |
| Notes | IRN
Almirante Cervera IRN Almirante Cordova |
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Original Birmingham class configuration, note pair of 6" guns forward of bridge.