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Posted by Conrad Waters on March 23, 2025, 5:50:58, in reply to "Re: British heavycruiser question"
Dear Terry,
Thank you for your kind words.
My next cruiser book is on the Leander and Arethusa classes and is being written in collaboration with the Australian author Peter Cannon. We are due to deliver this at the end of 2026 so it should be on the booksellers' shelves sometime in 2027.
Whilst I wanted to finish writing about the inter-war RN 6in cruisers before turning to other classes, I do have an option with Seaforth to write a book on the 'Counties' and my plan is to turn to them when the Leander book is finished. This book will also likely cover York and Exeter. I have already been looking at some of the heavy cruiser files in connection with the Leander class book (for a time there was a real possibility that the 'B' class would have been armed with 6in guns, so they have some relevance to the Leander type's evolution), which is how I came across the records on the naming conventions.
I am glad that you liked the previous books.
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Can we then look forward to a new book covering the Counties and other 8” heavies?
Your previous books on the Town’sand& Colony’s were very informative, well written and illustrated.
Thanks, and good fortune with your new project
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Dear Craig,
I'm afraid that I can't provide a direct answer to your question as to what class York and Exeter were known by in Admiralty documents (I've only just started researching these ships) but I do know how the names came about.
The naming of new RN ships at this time was considered by the Admiralty Board on 9 December 1925. The decision is contained in Board Minute 2138 that concluded: "The Board agreed that County names should be given to 'A' class cruisers and Town names to 'B' class cruisers in the approved programme..."
Subsequently, on 18 March 1926 the Board approved the establishment of a Committee (Minute 2187) to suggest names for the new construction programme underway. This reported to the Board on 13 May 1926 (Minute 2206) concluding, amongst many other recommendations: "B Class Cruisers: For these seven Town names are required [My note: 7 because this was the expected programme at the time]. In view of the ancient practice of "hallowing" ships, on which the present [naming] ceremony was founded, and the fact that the ceremony was often performed in the past by a bishop, we have suggested the names of cathedral cities of seven of the oldest sees. We should, of course, have headed the list with the name CANTERBURY but for the fact the name is already appropriated".
The names initially suggested were YORK, ROCHESTER, DURHAM, LINCOLN, CHICHESTER, SALISBURY and EXETER. As a result of a request by the Admiralty. the Committee also later added NORWICH, GLOUCESTER, BANGOR and ABERDEEN to the list
No decision was made at on the cruiser names at the time of the 13 May 1926 meeting. However, the Board considered the names for the cruisers of the 1926 programme at a subsequent meeting on 3 February 1927, when YORK was selected for the first 'B' type cruiser (Minute 2301).
I hope, if not directly answering your question, this response is of some help.
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The British heavy cruisers York and Exeter were ordered in the late 1920's. The Profile Warship book #13 HMS Exeter lists these 2 ships as Cathedral class. Yet the other RN references I have listed them individually. And they do look different.Was the term "Cathedral"class a nickname?
Any one know anything about this? Thanks in advance.
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