Read this article to learn the history of the original ships. We hope that you'll find this information interesting—we’ve tried to provide you with a detailed overview of every cruiser in the new branch.
Now, let's take a closer look at the newcomers!
Hawkins
HMS Hawkins was laid down on June 3, 1916, at Chatham Dockyard; launched on October 1, 1917; and commissioned on July 25, 1919. The cruiser was appointed as the flagship of the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron at the China Station. After a refit in 1929, when her coal-fired boilers were removed and replaced with oil-fired ones, the ship became the flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron as part of the Atlantic Fleet. Following a brief stay in the Reserve Fleet, the cruiser was recommissioned as the flagship of the 4th Cruiser Squadron. In accordance with the first London Naval Treaty of 1930, Hawkins-class cruisers had to be demilitarized prior to the end of 1936. This was because they exceeded Britain's limit for cruisers carrying artillery with a caliber higher than 155 mm. It was intended for HMS Hawkins to be rearmed with 152 mm guns and recommissioned together with HMS Effingham, a ship of the same class. However, with the outbreak of World War II, it was decided to simply reinstall her previous armament. The veteran ship was used in the secondary theaters of war in Africa and South Atlantic, and in 1944 she took part in the Normandy landings, after which she was designated as a training ship. After the war, the ship was sent to the reserve, and in 1947 she was reclassified as a target ship. On August 21, 1947, HMS Hawkins was sold for scrap.
Devonshire
HMS Devonshire was a County-class heavy cruiser of the London sub-class. She was laid down at Devonport Dockyard on March 16, 1926; launched on October 22, 1927; commissioned on March 18, 1929; and then assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. Immediately after the outbreak of World War II, she was transferred to the Home Fleet. In March 1940, Devonshire became the flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron. During the course of the Norwegian campaign, the cruiser evacuated Norwegian government officials and the royal family from Tromsø to Britain. In 1942, she underwent a refit in the U.S., during which a radar was installed and her AA defenses were reinforced. From April 1942 to May 1943, the cruiser was on convoy duties in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. From May 1943 to March 1944, she was in Britain undergoing repairs. In April 1944, the ship returned to the Home Fleet and became the flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron once again. Until the end of the war in May 1945, Devonshire provided cover for aircraft carriers that were delivering strikes on the shipping lines and coastal targets in Norway. The cruiser also participated in the capitulation of the German fleet in Denmark, and returned the Norwegian government to Oslo. In 1947, Devonshire became a training ship and served in this capacity until 1954. The last major event in cruiser's career came in the form of her participation in the Fleet Review to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. HMS Devonshire was sold for scrap in June 1954.
Surrey
While the York-class cruisers were being built, the Admiralty studied the improved ship projects that were to be constructed after the Norfolk sub-class. A five-turret cruiser variant was considered, similar to Japanese cruisers in terms of its artillery layout. However, this idea was soon abandoned because the engineers weren’t able to come up with a satisfactory solution for the installation of additional turrets. Because of this, a cruiser variant with powerful armor was chosen for production. Compared to her predecessor, the new cruiser received an impressive armor belt and quite a thick deck from the outset. The 1928–1929 Program provided for the construction of two cruisers: Surrey and Northumberland. However, the government canceled all the ships of this program and started negotiating the convening of a new conference on naval armament with the U.S. administration. The conference resulted in the London Naval Treaty of 1930, which decreed that Britain and its dominions could have no more than 15 cruisers with an artillery caliber of higher than 155 mm. It made laying down new cruisers impossible. HMS Surrey was ordered by the 1928 Program at the Royal Portsmouth Dockyard, but was never laid down.
Albemarle
After World War II began, the British Admiralty raised the issue of constructing new heavy cruisers which were included in the 1941–1942 Program. In December 1939, work began on the construction of a cruiser with three triple turrets mounting 8-inch guns. At the beginning of 1940, pre-war projects of heavy cruisers scaled down from 21,500 tons to 15,000 tons were used as a basis. The first draft was presented on January 20, 1940: a 15,500 ton cruiser with a 6-inch-thick (152 mm) armor belt, and a speed of 33 knots at standard displacement; 31.5 knots at maximum load. However, calculations showed that these ships wouldn’t have a decisive advantage over their German counterparts in terms of their speed, and the development process continued. The ship was named after George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle—a British Admiral from the 17th century.
Drake
The British naval officials returned to the idea of building new heavy cruisers, in no small part because of rumors that Japan was in the process of constructing 20,000-ton super cruisers. When, in January 1938, it became obvious that the Japanese weren't intending to respect the maximum displacement restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, the Admiralty started developing several variants of a heavy cruiser, starting with a 20,000-ton variant. The main designer was W.G.John. Two main projects were ready by March 1938: "A" with 8-inch (203 mm) guns and "B" with 9.2-inch (234 mm) guns, with the number of guns varying between eight and twelve. The order for 203 mm and 234 mm calibers was provoked by information that Japan was building four or five "pocket battleships" with 305 mm main batteries. At the beginning of 1939, the Admiralty ordered and considered an Alaska-class cruiser variant with 254 mm guns. Later that year, engineers briefly returned to the "treaty" variant of a 10,000 ton cruiser with heavy armor, but after World War II broke out, the project's displacement grew back to 20,000 tons. On September 8, 1939, John presented the Admiralty with projects based on the 21,500-ton variant of 1938. One of these projects was armed with nine 9.2-inch guns and had a 7-inch (177 mm) armor belt.
In the game, the ship is named after Sir Francis Drake, the famous English pirate, explorer, and Admiral from the 16th century.
Goliath
While designing a heavy cruiser in 1938, engineer W.G.John considered a 23,700 ton ship at some point. His notebook has a rough sketch of an "armoured cruiser" armed with twelve 9.2-inch guns in three quadruple or four triple turrets, protected by a 8-inch-thick (203 mm) armor belt.
In the game, the ship is named in accordance with British naval traditions. Her name was previously carried by several ships in the Royal Navy, including second and third rate sailing ships of the line, and an ironclad that perished at Gallipoli in 1915.