HMS York

HMS York

HMS Dido

HMS Colossus

HMS York

HMS Dido

HMS Colossus

Britain

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.7	5.7	5.7

Class:

Heavy cruiser

Research:89 000

Purchase:300 000

Description

The York-class, HMS York (90), 1941 is a rank IV British heavy cruiser with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Starfighters".

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Citadel64 / 76 / 38 mm

Main fire tower25 / 25 / 25 mm

Hull25 mm (steel)

Superstructure8 mm (steel)

Number of section9

Displacement10 350 t

Crew623 people

Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB70 / 25 km/h

RB60 / 22 km/h

Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	70	25
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	60	22

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB10 821 → 14 673

RB10 502 → 14 240

Total cost of modifications78 000

134 000

Talisman cost1 700

Crew training87 000

Experts300 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces520 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

450 / 600 / 100 %

172 / 172 / 172 %

Modifications

Seakeeping	Unsinkability	Firepower
Dry-Docking Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 300 200 Rudder Replacement Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 000 230 Propeller Replacement Research: 3 900 Cost: 6 700 250 Engine Maintenance Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 800 330	Damage Control Division Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 300 200 Fire Division Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 000 230 Smokescreen Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 000 230 Shrapnel Protection Research: 3 900 Cost: 6 700 250 Ventilation Research: 3 900 Cost: 6 700 250 New Pumps Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 800 330 Ammo Wetting Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 800 330	Anti-Air Armament Targeting Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 300 200 203mm_uk_mk8_mark_ib_sapc_ammo_pack Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 300 200 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_SAP_ammo_pack Research: 3 100 Cost: 5 300 200 Auxiliary Armament Targeting Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 000 230 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_he_dist_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 3 500 Cost: 6 000 230 Primary Armament Targeting Research: 3 900 Cost: 6 700 250 Improved Rangefinder Research: 3 900 Cost: 6 700 250 Torpedo Mode Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 800 330 Hydroplane Research: 5 100 Cost: 8 800 330

Armament

Primary armament

3 х Turret2 x 8 inch/50 Mark VIII cannon

Ammunition300 rounds

Vertical guidance-3° / 70°

Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.

Secondary armament

4 х Turret4 in/45 QF Mark V cannon

Ammunition200 rounds

Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control Select secondary weapon. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.

Anti-aircraft armament

3 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon

Ammunition1800 rounds

Belt capacity60 rounds

Fire rate450 shots/min

2 х Turret4 x 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V machine gun

Ammunition8000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select anti-aircraft weapons. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.

Additional armament

Setup 16 x 533 mm Mk.IX wet-heater torpedo

Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.

Scout plane

Located amidships is a catapult with one Walrus Mk.I scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The Walrus is equipped with only defensive machine gun turrets but it does carry 4 x 250 lb bombs. It also has the scout plane ability to cap zones and lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilise the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new! Carrying a far heavier bomb load than other scout planes, this unit has a very good chance to sink enemy boats or even a destroyer. The Walrus Mk.I is the only naval launched amphibious aircraft in the game as it has a fully retractable main undercarriage.

Usage in battles

The York is very much a sniping cruiser and should be played as such. While it lacks a huge broadside, it makes up for this with a fantastic 5 rounds/per minute RoF, which is one of the best reloads in the game for heavy cruiser firepower. For comparison, the American heavy cruisers fire 3 rounds/per minute, nearly half as quickly. Combined with good shell velocity, this can make the York a frightening opponent for other cruisers, with its guns doing immense damage. Better yet, 2/3rds of the York's firepower is positioned on the bow, meaning it can angle severely and still do a good amount of damage. The York is also a fairly nimble ship, and while it isn't very fast in a straight line, its low weight for a heavy cruiser means it can get up to speed well, and can turn very quickly.

The York suffers once the gap in distance is closed. Its armour is pretty terrible, even for a British cruiser. While the ammo racks are well-protected (and will prove a challenge for anything except other heavy cruisers), its belt armour is very flat and very weak. While its deck armour is strong, it's only rolled armour, meaning arcing shells, bombs, and rockets can do immense damage if they hit the superstructure. The guns are also very weak, with just 25 mm of armour around the turrets, meaning they can be knocked out very easily, even by light cruisers. In addition, the York lacks the beefy AA armament of many other British ships. It has only four 4-inch DP guns, and just a handful of 20 mm and 12.7 mm small arms guns to combat aircraft at close range. Combined with its weak armour, this can make the York an enticing target for aircraft.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fantastic rate of fire with its main battery guns can make it a menace in gunnery duels
• Small and nimble, can move around the battlefield very well
• A small target that can be difficult to hit, especially at long range
• Access to torpedoes with good speed and damage, which can ward off flanking cruisers effectively
• Well-armoured ammo racks mean one-shots are only possible for heavy cruisers
• One scout seaplane carrying a potent bomb-load.

Cons:

• Anaemic secondary armament that can leave it vulnerable at close range and against aircraft
• Tiny crew size - fires and flooding can kill it very quickly
• Poor belt and deck armour makes it vulnerable to arcing fire and bombs

History

HMS York entering Havana harbour, 1938.

HMS York (90) was the lead ship of two York-class heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She served in the North American theatre before the war, and escorted Atlantic convoys in the first part of the Second World War. She also participated in the British Norway campaign, and was later reassigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. However, while in service with the Mediterranean fleet, she was disabled by Italian explosive motorboats. Critically damaged, her wreck was abandoned by the Allies. She was salvaged and scrapped in 1952.

Design and development

The York was based on the earlier County-class cruisers, the first 8-inch heavy cruisers used by the United Kingdom. Lighter than the previous 10-thousand ton County-class cruisers, the York displaced 8,250 tons standard. The York carried eight 8-inch (203 mm) guns in four dual turrets; this was the standard armament for later British heavy cruisers.She also carried two triple torpedo tube launchers. Her anti-aircraft armament was rather sparse, and was never improved sufficiently to grant her good AA performance. She could make a top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h), and had an endurance of 24,600 km at 22 km/h.

The York was laid down on May 16th 1927, and was launched on July 17th 1928. She was completed on May 1st 1930, and subsequently began serving with the British home fleet.

Operational Service

The York entered service in 1930, serving as the flagship of the 2nd Cruiser squadron of the Home Fleet. Between 1934 and 1940, she served primarily with the North America/West Indies Station, though she was detached to the Mediterranean fleet for two years for the Italo-Abyssinian War.

At the start of the Second World War, York was based in Halifax as a part of Force F, a squadron tasked with hunting for commerce raiders and escorting convoys. She returned to the UK in late 1939, and underwent a refit before being assigned to the 1st Cruiser squadron of the Home Fleet. She also participated in the planned British invasion of Norway, and evacuated Anglo-French troops from Namsos following the German invasion.

In August of 1940, York was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser squadron of the British Mediterranean fleet. She participated in the Battle of Passero, where she sank the crippled destroyer Artigliere, and escorted the carrier HMS Illustrious during her raid on the Italian fleet at Taranto. However, in early 1941, she was disabled by explosive MTBs of the Italian navy. German bombers further damaged the ship, which was considered to be damaged beyond repair. As a result, the British abandoned the ship and destroyed its armament prior to their evacuation from Crete; the wreck was salvaged and scrapped in 1952.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the ship;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Works Cited

• Lettens, J. (2008, August 28). HMS York (1941). Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?123797
• Helgason, G. (1995). HMS York. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/1187.html

Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
Light Cruisers
Town-class	HMS York
Battlecruisers
Unique ships	HMS Queen Mary

Britain heavy cruisers
Hawkins-class	HMS Hawkins
York-class	HMS York
County-class	HMS Kent · HMS London · HMS Norfolk