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The HMS Kent was laid down November 15, 1924, her June 25, 1928 commission designated her flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron to China Station. After a major refit in 1937 increased her armor, she served with the 4th Cruiser squadron conducting anti-raider patrols before relocating to the Indian Ocean for troop convoy escort duties in 1940.
Italian fortifications at Bardia were the focus of her August 17 mission that year, as part of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron with the Mediterranean Fleet, Kent participated in a fortress bombardment involving twelve destroyers.
Soon thereafter, Kent took part in a combined effort during the nights of September 16 and 17, mining and launching torpedo attacks at the harbor of Benghazi. Two Italian destroyers and two merchant ships were destroyed.
Kent and two destroyers set out to bombard Bardia on the nights of Septermber 17 and 18, but her luck had run out. Italian torpedo bombers struck Kent's stern, inflicting significant damage. One year later she was back in business and joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron, escorting convoys to North Russia.
As flagship of Rear-Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor, Kent took part in a shipping raid off Egersund, Norway, November 12, 1944, where a German convoy was intercepted just before midnight, sinking two German freighters and five escorts.
After colliding with a tanker at the close of that year, Kent was repaired and retained as reserve fleet flagship. In the summer of 1947 she was prepped and used for target trials. Her sale came January 22, 1948; she subsequently arrived in Troon January 31 for breakdown by West of Scotland Shipbreakers.
Displacement: 9,750 tons standard; 13,450 tons full load
Length: 630 ft
Beam: 68.25 ft
Draft: 16.25 ft
Propulsion: 4 shaft Parsons geared turbines, 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 80,000 HP
Speed: 31.5 knots
Complement: 700
Range: 3,100 miles at 31.5 knots; 13,300 miles at 12 knots
4 x 8 in (203 mm) dual guns,
2 x 4 in (102 mm) single AA guns,
4 x 4 in (102 mm) dual AA guns,
6 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns,
3 x 20 mm (0.8 in) dual power-operated guns,
2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms eight barrel guns,
2 x 21 in (533 mm) quad Torpedo Tubes.
1 to 4 in magazine box protection,
1.375 in deck,
1 in side-plating,turrets and bulkheads,
4.5 in belt,
4 internal boiler room sides (added 1936-1940).
Read more about HMS Kent here and here.
Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual
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