HMS Frobisher (D81)

Frobisher c. 1924–1930
History
United Kingdom
Name	Frobisher
Namesake	Sir Martin Frobisher
Ordered	December 1915
Builder	HM Dockyard, Devonport
Laid down	2 August 1916
Launched	20 March 1920
Commissioned	20 September 1924
Out of service	1947
Reclassified	As a training ship, 1932 As a heavy cruiser, March 1942 As a training ship, May 1945
Identification	Pennant number: 81 (1924);[1] I81 (1938); D81 (1940)[2]
Fate	Sold for scrap, 26 March 1949
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Hawkins-class heavy cruiser
Displacement	9,860 long tons (10,020 t) (standard) 12,300 long tons (12,500 t) (deep load)
Length	604 ft 2 in (184.2 m) (o/a)
Beam	65 ft (19.8 m)
Draught	19 ft 3 in (5.9 m) (deep load)
Installed power	10 × Yarrow boilers 65,000 shp (48,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Speed	30.5 knots (56.5 km/h; 35.1 mph)
Range	5,640 nmi (10,450 km; 6,490 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	709
Armament	7 × single 7.5 in (191 mm) guns 3 × single 4 in (102 mm) AA guns 2 × single 2-pdr (1.6 in (40 mm)) AA guns 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 1.5–3 in (3.8–7.6 cm) Deck: 1–1.5 in (2.5–3.8 cm) Gun shields: 1 in (2.5 cm)

HMS Frobisher was one of five Hawkins-class heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. She was not finished during the war and construction proceeded very slowly after the end of the war in 1918. Completed in 1924, the ship was initially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet and was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in 1929, sometimes serving as a flagship. Placed in reserve in 1930, Frobisher was converted into a cadet training ship in 1932 before being returned to reserve in 1937. Two years later she was reactivated to again serve as a training ship.

When the Second World War began in 1939, the Royal Navy decided to reconvert her back into a heavy cruiser, but the work was repeatedly delayed by higher-priority repairs for other ships and she did not reenter service until early 1942. Frobisher was transferred to the Eastern Fleet and spent most of the next two years on escort duty. She returned to the UK in early 1944 to participate in Operation Neptune, the naval portion of the invasion of Normandy in June. The ship bombarded German coastal defences on 6 June, but was damaged by a torpedo in August. The Royal Navy decided to convert her back into a training ship while she was under repair and that work was completed in 1945. Frobisher served in that role until she was replaced in 1947 and the vessel was sold for scrap in 1949.