RN · CA
Exeter
Photos and infoYork-class heavy cruiser, pennant 68. Devonport Dockyard. Laid down 1 August 1928, launched 18 July 1929, commissioned 27 July 1931. Captain Oliver Loudon Gordon had her from 11 March 1941. Graf Spee damaged her in the River Plate and did not sink her. On 1 March 1942, with Encounter and Pope, Japanese heavy cruisers and destroyers sank her in the Java Sea. Not credited to one ship. Gordon survived as a prisoner.
| Type | Heavy cruiser (CA) |
|---|---|
| Hull | 68 |
| Builder | Devonport Dockyard |
| Launched | 1929-07-18 |
| Commissioned | 1931-07-27 |
| Fate | Sunk. Damaged in the River Plate on 13 December 1939 and not sunk. An 8-inch hit on 27 February 1942 put her out of the Java Sea line. Not credited to one ship, and not sunk that afternoon. On 1 March Japanese heavy cruisers and destroyers sank her. Not credited to one ship. |
| Command |
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Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.
HMS Exeter (68) at anchor in Balboa harbor, Panama, on 24 April 1934. The name Exeter is on the stern. U.S. Navy photograph NH 60812. Public domain.
The pictures on this page are the originals.
No color version yet. Colored pictures and film will be added here.
Command
Battle of the Java Sea
1942-02-27 · an 8-inch shell hit a boiler room about 1710. Her speed fell to about 15 knots. She left the line and went home to Surabaya. Not sunk that day
