H MS Exeter /Heavy Cruiser 1929-1941 * - by Randall A. R.

Tonks , MA Sop
HMS'Exeter'
(1) 70 gun Third Rate. 1030 tons 150ftx40ft.
Complement 460. Built at Blackwall by
Johnsons 1680.
In Anglo-Dutch fleet against the French off
Beachy Head 1690. Damaged by accidental
explosion off Plymouth 1691 and hulked.
Broken up at Portsmouth 1717.
(2) 60 gun Fourth Rate. 949 tons 148ftx38ft. Built
in Portsmouth Dockyard 1697. In action against
the French off Newfoundland 1702 and in the
Mediterranean 1711. Enlarged to 1068 tons,
with 58 guns in Devonport Dockyard 1744.
Drove ashore and burnt 64 gun French ship
Ardent in Quiberon Bay 1746. With Admiral
Boscowen at siege of Pondicherry 1748. Broken
up at Portsmouth 1763.
(3) 64 gun Third Rate. 1340 tons 158''ftx41ft.
Built at Chatham 1763. Battle of Ushant 1778.
Took part in operations against the French
around India 1779-83-Sadres, Providien,
Negapatam and Trincomalee. Burnt at Cape
Town 1784 as unserviceable resulting from
operational damage.
(4) Trawler hired by the Admiralty 1917-19.
(5) Cruiser. 8390 tons. 540ftx57ft 6-8in guns;
4-4in guns.
Launched 18 July 1929. Commissioned 21
July 1931.
Battle of the River Plate 13 December 1939.
Sunk by Japanese during the Battle of the Java
Sea 1 March 1941.
(6) Frigate. 2170 tons. 330ftx40ft. 2-4.5in guns;
2-20mm guns. Ordered 1956: cancelled.

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Full speed trials after commissioning. Note the very high masts
(Captain Dallmeyer)
The Geneva Naval Conference 1927
This conference foundered largely on Britain's
adamant refusal to accept any limitations in her
cruiser strength but in 1930 at the London Naval
conference she surrendered to American pressures.
In 1929 Mr Ramsay MacDonald came to power
with a Labour Government that was committed to
policies that would cut down armaments. Britain
agreed to reduce her cruiser strength from 70 to 50
in return for an American reduction of her Washing-
ton Treaty cruiser strength from 24 to 18: Japan
was persuaded to accept a 5 :5 :3 ratio in cruisers.
Understandably this agreement was a factor in the
improvement in Anglo-American relations but, at the
approach of war in 1939 the British Commonwealth
could muster only 62 cruisers many of which,
having been in commission for more than 16 years,
were in the'over-age' category.
Subsequent Cruiser Policy
Faced with Japan's immediately expressed intention
to build eight 10,000 ton 8in gun cruisers and every
indication that America, France and Italy were
entering the 'Washington Treaty' cruiser race, the
Admiralty proposed an ambitious cruiser-building
H MS Dorsetshire and York. Much weight was saved in York and Exeter by eliminating half the No. 1 deck accommodation provided
in the County Class cruisers which were also 50ft p.p. longer. Clearly illustrated are York's high bridge, raked funnels and extended
sideplatirig
2
One, York, alone of the three included in the 1926-
1927 programme, was laid down in 1927 and only
Exeter was authorised for 1928. These two 8400
tons'B' Class or Cathedral Class cruisers represented
the first attempt of a Washington Treaty power to
break away from the 10,000 cruiser as well as a
victory in the Admiralty for those who advocated
the smaller, more lightly armed, cruisers. Not only
were they considered more useful, as events
subsequently proved correct, for the protection of
our sea routes and convoys, but, being less costly to
build, it was hoped that more could be afforded.
The 7000 ton Leander Class cruisers, the next to be
built with 8-6in guns were hailed as 'a return to
sanity': these ships, Leander, Neptune, Orion,
Achilles and Ajax, were launched between 1931
and 1934.
Some Features in Design and Equipment
Like York, the Exeter was designed by Sir William
Barry, Chief of Naval Construction, and differed from
her sister ship in several features. She was one foot
broader in the beam, had a slightly larger displace-
ment and was to cost more. It was originally intended
that both ships should have three raking funnels
but their foremost funnels were trunked into the
second in order to improve conditions on the bridges
and to economise in space and weight. Exeter's
funnels were built straight in order to improve her
appearance and were shorter than York's. Because
'B' turret proved insufficiently strong to take the
aircraft catapult and runway, as had been planned,
they were repositioned abaft the funnels. This
decision came too late to alter York's bridge and
funnels but Exeter's bridge was lowered so that the
director was only 60ft above the water. Exeter was
provided with unique arrangements for launching
her aircraft, her twin runways in a V pattern enabling
two planes to be carried and catapulted from either
side of the stack.
(Captain Dallmeyer)
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Exeter, port side amidships. The 4in guns are covered. The torpedo tubes and searchlights are clearly shown
(NMM)

Barracks and the Devonport Division of the Metro- particularly hard hit by the pay cuts and tried to
politan Police, who then provided the Dockyard alleviate their anxieties.
Police, Lady Madden, wife of the First Sea Lord, The ship arrived at Invergordon late in the evening of
launched the Exeter. A running commentary of the Tuesday 15 September and as she proceeded to her
ceremony was broadcast for the BBC by Commander mooring ahead of York, her crew, unaware that the
Stephen King-Hall, Royal Navy. Atlantic Fleet was in a state of mutiny, were surprised
An immediate scare that the plight of the national by the unexpected enthusiastic cheering from other
economy might cause suspension of work on the ships that greeted them. That evening and on
ship proved false and for the next three years the Wednesday, on the afternoon of which a make-and-
work of completion continued in No 5 Basin, mend (free afternoon) was given, other ships tried to
Keyham. persuade Exeter's crew to refuse to turn-to when
ordered. Although some half dozen men appeared
Commissioning reluctant to fall in for work on Thursday and tried to
Under the command of Captain I. W. Gibson, OBE, raise a cheer at the forecastle break, the ship's
MVO, Exeter was commissioned on Tuesday 21 July company by and large, 'continued to show the best
1931 and on the following Thursday proceeded to
sea for acceptance trials, returning to harbour the
Plan of Exeter's arrangement for twin aircraft runways
same evening. After inspection by the Commander-
in-Chief in Plymouth Sound a week after being
commissioned, Exeter sailed for Exmouth off which
resort she anchored. Civilities were exchanged
between the ship and the City of Exeter whose
presentations included a silver model of the Guildhall
and shields for inter-divisional football and rifle
shooting. After working-up exercises at sea, Exeter
put into Portsmouth for minor repairs and modifica-
tions to be carried out before proceeding to join the
Atlantic Fleet at Invergordon.

Mutiny at Invergordon
Exeter was proceeding to join the Second Cruiser
Squadron, having been engaged in gunnery
exercises and in cooperating with the Royal Air
Force in their 'B' bomb trials, when a signal was
received outlining the cuts in services' pay that the
government had imposed. The Captain immediately
cleared lower deck to read the distasteful news to
the ship's company off duty. Their Divisional Officers
then collected the names of those who would be
4
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steaming at speed or in rough weather.

'Exeter' s' Aircraft

The Fairey l/IF
The Fairey IIIF was the last of the famous Fairey III
biplane series, with a smooth pointed nose and
streamlined fuselage. Although it might have been
used for high-level bombing, it was essentially a
three-seater spotter-reconnaissance plane carrying a
wireless telegraphist air-gunner and naval observer
in addition to the pilot. They were flown off carriers
or, an especially stressed mark, catapulted from
A Fairey IIIF being hoisted on board by the crane
capital ships or cruisers. In all, 622 of these all
(Captain Dallmeyer)
metal structured, fabric covered, aircraft were built,
340 being provided to the Fleet Air Arm. The first
was delivered to the FAA in 1927 and the last in
September 1932. They were armed with fixed mance and proven capabilities in all weathers and
Vickers guns forward and one manually operated climates it earned naval pilots' unreserved respect.
Lewis gun in the after cockpit. Up to 5001b of bombs Designed by R. J. Mitchell of Spitfire fame it was
could be carried below the wings. first ordered for the Royal Navy after trials abroad
Nelson in 1935. Supermarine built the first 287
CHARACTERISTICS Walrus until they had to concentrate on building
A single 570hp Napier Lion XIA water-cooled engine
Span: 45'911" Spitfires when they sub-contracted to Saunders-Roe
Length: 34'4 (36' 4" if fitted out as a seaplane) who built a further 453 until production ceased. The
Height: 14' 24"
Wing area: 44^ sq. ft
Walrus could also be flown from carriers or catapulted
Max. speed: 120mph 10,000ft and it carried a crew of three. They were armed with
3-4 hours endurance one Vickers K gun in the bows and one or two of the
Service ceiling 20,000ft
Weight: 39231b empty same weapon amidships, and light bombs could be
6301 loaded fitted underneath the wings.

CHARACTERISTICS
The Hawker Osprey Pegasus nine cylinder radial air cooled engine
The Hawker Osprey had supplanted the Fairey IIIF Span: 45' 10" (17' 11" when folded)
Length : 37' 3"
in all catapult flights by 1935. It was a two-seater Height: 15' 3"
fighter-reconnaissance biplane either flown from Wing area: 610sq ft
Max. speed: 135mph at 4750ft
carriers or, modified as a seaplane, catapulted. Its 600 miles cruising range at 95mph at 3500ft
structure was stainless steel and fabric covered. Service ceiling I8,500ft
These aircraft were fitted with one or two fixed Weight: 49001bempty
7200lb loaded
forward firing Vickers guns and one moveable Lewis
gun over the rear cockpit.

CHARACTERISTICS Second Cruiser Squadron , Home Fleet

A single 640hp Rolls Royce medium supercharged engine In peacetime the Royal Navy not only in its military
Span: 37'
Length: 29' 4" (31' 9" if fitted out as a seaplane) role, policed the seas and exercised a visible deter-
Height: 10' 5" rent to would-be trouble makers but also, as an
Wing area: 339sq ft
Max. speed: 160mph at 1 3,000ft
extension of British diplomacy, paid goodwill visits
2-3 hours endurance to foreign parts and rendered assistance in the
Service ceiling 22,000ft maintenance of order and in alleviating disaster in
(Performance was greater when not modified as a
seaplane) many parts of the world. And by frequent calls to
Britain's colonial territories, the ships of the Royal
Navy gave tangible evidence of Britain's close
*The Supermarine Walrus association and her concern for their well-being and
The Supermarine Walrus, or Shagbat as it was protection.
popularly called, was especially designed as a naval When she sailed to the West Indies in January 1932
spotter-reconnaissance amphibian. By its perfor- with the Second Cruiser Squadron for the spring
cruise, Exeter began to play her part in the exercise
"Aircraft Profile No. 224. of British seapower. Having visited Trinidad, St Louis

6
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Exeter in the West Indies. The seamen, in tropical white uniform, have just lowered No. 2 cutter preparatory to securing to the buoy
ahead of the ship. Note the two aircraft
and Barbados, she returned with the Squadron to
Scapa Flow for the Home Fleet Regatta, in which
Exeter won the 'Cock', an almost unknown feat in
any ship's first year of commission. Then followed a
cruise round the UK, visiting Liverpool, Ilfracombe
and St Ives before proceeding to Portland for the
Royal Review in July. In the autumn, all four ships
of the squadron Dorsetshire, Norfolk, York and
Exeter visited Copenhagen on the occasion of the
British Exhibition there.
In 1933, before paying off in August, Exeter visited
several Spanish ports in the spring and later, after
torpedo trials in the Moray Firth, undertook a
goodwill cruise of Scandinavian countries.
Crisis in the Mediterranean 1935-36
On recommissioning in October, Exeter joined the
South American Division of the American and West
Indies Squadron, 'showing the flag' round both
British territories and the centres of South America
and both sides of the continent.
In the hope of deterring Mussolini's overt intention to
'The Cock ' won by Exeter in the Home Fleet Regatta at Scapa
Flow (Captain Dallmeyer)
Exeter lit up on Midsummer Day at Karlskrona
(Captain Dallmeyer)
8
(Captain Dallmeyer)
invade Abyssinia the British Government postured a
threat to intervene by hastily reinforcing the
Mediterranean Fleet. From Bermuda hastened Ajax,
whilst Exeter, at Valparaiso, refuelled and sailed
round Cape Horn in the longest passage of all the
ships to the crisis area. Such was the urgency that
she was required to maintain high speed all the way,
causing the Captain grave anxiety whether she
would have sufficient fuel to reach Alexandria
non-stop. Commander T. H. Crgokshank, the
Engineer Commander, ventured the calculated risk
that there was enough fuel to take the cruiser to
Alexandria but the Captain, 'might not be able to go
astern to check the way of the ship when she got
there'. In the event Exeter safely berthed in Alex-
andria with less than one per cent of her fuel
capacity-about 20 tons. Exeter remained in the
Mediterranean until the crisis evaporated in 1936
after the British and French governments retracted
from their position thus enabling the successful
occupation of Abyssinia by the Italians.
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Exeter, in her West Indies light grey paint, commissioned in 1936. The commissioning pendant streams from her mainmast
was to arrange for the fuelling of his ships in the
ports of neutral South America. Port Stanley in the
Falkland Islands was the nearest British base,
1000 miles from Montevideo and almost 2000 miles
from Rio de Janeiro, both of which were focal areas
requiring protective patrols against German com-
merce raiders.
Having been showing the flag in the South American
station for three years before the war, the Com-
modore was as respected as he was well known in
these countries. The facilities he managed to obtain
were more helpful than he had dared to hope for,
in view of the restrictive clauses of the international
laws governing the use of neutral ports by the war-
ships of belligerent nations. Also the tanker 01wen
arrived on the station to lessen the fuelling problems.
A Narrow Escape
Meanwhile, Cumberland left Freetown on 8
September for Rio de Janeiro on a course that
unknowingly would take her through the area chosen
by Graf Spee to hunt for prey. The German pocket
battleship* had sailed out into the Atlantic on 21
August and successfully rendezvoused with her
supply ship A/tmark south west of the Canary
Islands on 1 September. Whilst preparing to
provision Graf Spee from Altmark on 11 September,
Captain Langsdorf flew off his aircraft to patrol the
the area against any surprise interruption whilst
both ships were stopped. Cumberland was spotted
by the battleship's aircraft when she altered to a
course that would have taken her within 10 miles of
the German ships. Captain Langsdorff decided to
avoid the dangerous consequences of discovery if
he engaged the enemy cruiser and, making off at
high speed, avoided detection.
Patrolling off South America
Exeter was on watch in the area off the River Plate
when information was received on 12 September
that some Germans, who had been unable to return
home from Argentina where they had been working,
" See Warship Profile No.4.
10
(NMM)
were planning to mount a raid on the Falkland
Islands. Ajax was ordered to remain at the base and
Commodore Harwood sailed south so that he could
be in a position to cover eventualities both at the
Falkland Islands and off the River Plate. His resources
were further stretched when Cumberland, who had
begun her watch off Rio de Janeiro, was ordered to
Ascension Island where 'reliable information' of an
intended rendezvous of German ships on 28
September was expected. Ajax came north to
replace Cumberland off Rio, leaving the Falkland
Islands unguarded. When it was learnt that
Achilles would reinforce the South America Division,
it was decided that she should join her sister-ship,
Ajax, with the two destroyers to protect trade off
Rio, whilst Exeter and Cumberland would form a
hunting group. However, Hotspur and Havock were
recalled to the Home Fleet which was critically
short of destroyers, and Commodore Harwood
considered that Exeter, who had been continually
at sea since 23 August, needed a respite in Port
Stanley to make repairs and rest the crew. On
instructions from the Commander-in-Chief, Exeter
continued giving protection to convoys until
26 October when Achilles joined her off the River
Plate. Having fuelled from the Olwen, and her
commander, Captain W. R. Parry, having conferred
with the Commodore, Achilles sailed to join
Cumberland who had reached Montevideo on the
same day. These two cruisers then sailed for the
focal area off Rio. When Ajax arrived off the River
Plate, Commodore Harwood transferred his pendant
from Exeter who sailed for the Falkland Islands.
Ajax's task was to watch over the shipping lanes
whilst Cumberland and Achilles patrolled as a
hunting group with instructions, should they meet a
German battleship raider, to shadow her by day and
to attack only at night.
The consequences of Britain's agreement in 1929
to limit her cruiser strength was all too evident.
Commodore Harwood was required to cover an
area extending well over 2000 miles with only four
cruisers, always facing the possibility of an engage-
ment with a raiding German battleship. And in order

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The directors and guns of Exeter's main armament are all trained on a 90' bearing (Green nine-o)
immediately, bringing the other two into operation
whilst on passage.
When Exeter joined, as directed on the morning of
12 December, Commodore Harwood's plans had
been made. Dividing his force into two Divisions,
intending to go into action from different directions,
he decided to 'attack at once by day or by night. By
day act as two units. 1st Division (Ajax and Achilles)
and Exeter diverged to permit flank marking. First
Division will concentrate gunfire. By night ships
will normally remain in open order. . .'. Of the clarity
and precision of these orders Captain Parry later
commented, 'His intentions were so clear that
practically no signals were made during the action,
because we all knew exactly what to do'.
'Flank marking' meant that each Division could spot
the others' fall of shot and also engage the enemy's
attention on two sides. 'First Division will concen-
trate gunfire' required Ajax and Achilles to fire
simultaneously directed, from Ajax. These tactics
were practised on the evening before the battle.
Battle enjoined off the River Plate*
Whilst Graf Spee was steaming off the River Plate
on the morning of 13 December, two mast-heads
The damage to Exeter's bridge when 'B'turret received a direct hit
14
(MOD)
were sighted at 0530 and recognised 20 minutes
later as belonging to Exeter. The Ajax and Achilles
were sighted and identified at the same time.
Captain Langsdorff, realising that any attempt to
elude detection was purposeless, ordered his crew
to action stations and increased to full speed.
At 1614, Exeter was ordered to investigate smoke
which is now known to have been caused by
Graf Spee's diesels as 'they were stepped up to
maximum power'. Two minutes later Captain Bell
reported an enemy pocket battleship. At 1618,
Graf Spee opened fire with her main armament on
Exeter and with her secondary armament on Ajax.
Exeter immediately steamed to west of the battleship
and opened fire at 0620 whilst Ajax and Achilles
made for Graf Spee's other flank, opening fire two
minutes later.
The Bridge is wrecked
The first shell to strike Exeter passed through the ship
without exploding but, within a minute, B turret
was put out of action by a direct hit from an 11 in
For a full description of the battle from the German viewpoint
see Warship Profile No. 4 by the late Kapitan zi r See, Gerhard
Bidlingmaier.
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 0614
Opens Fire
THE
BATTLE OF
THE RIVER PLATE
EXETER
0730 Hit Twice
N,
killing half the gun's crew, and went through two
decks before exploding in the equipment for
providing fresh water; the third penetrated the
140mm steel armoured belt and the starboard
armoured longitudinal bulkhead before exploding
amidships. This last shell, had it struck a metre lower,
might have reached No 4 section of the engine room
before exploding.
Commander F. W. Rasenack, a gunnery officer on
board Graf Spee, commented on the surprising
effectiveness of the British 11 in shells which clearly
belied the view that 'Graf Spee could only be
successfully fought by a battleship'.
Exeter's influence on the course of the action is
measurable through the words of Captain Langs-
dorff, 'I knocked out her foremost guns, I smashed her
bridge; yet with only one gun firing, they came at me
again. One can only have respect for such a foe as
that'.
The end of the Battle of the River Plate
Ajax and Achilles continued to harass Graf Spee
Ajax after the action, showing her crew watching the last moments of GrafSpee. Cumberland is in the background
16
4 I , $imiles ` .
% 0646
6 miles
546wice
Hit
Opens
Fire Opens Fire
'
0614
EXETER
AJAX
ACHILLES
until 0740, when Commodore Harwood broke off
the action though continuing to shadow the
German ship.
Captain Langsdorff decided that his ship was too
severely damaged to put out into the Atlantic and
proceeded to Montevideo roads where he anchored
at 0500 on 14 December.
On Sunday 17 December, Graf Spee left harbour
and 'blew herself up' six miles from the town.
Repair and return home
At Port Stanley, Exeter's crew plugged and patched
holes, rigged jury aerials, repaired equipment and,
as far as facilities permitted, made the ship ready for
sea. 'Y' turret was put into full working order and
all ammunition transferred to it: the forward turrets
were man-handled into fore and aft positions. One
rumour current was that Exeter would be abandoned
as a rusting hulk alongside the iron steamship
GreatBritain but, as he wrote later, Winston Churchill
'was most anxious about the Exeter, and would not
accept proposals made to leave her unrepairedin the
(/WM )
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 5LT

Position of 8inturrets in HMS York

HMS Exeter returns to her home port, Devon port, after the battle

18
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sun6lo nnal.n ueld

a13^Ht n3lMilaS • 1:
The crippled Exeter returns home . Note the top masts are missing and the successful results of repair and patching which have
camouflaged the extensive damage (/WM)

Japanese ships, retired they were subjected to Exeter 's 8in guns startled and broke up concentra-
consistent and extremely heavy air assaults but tions of enemy bombers . Events moved rapidly and
without suffering any crippling damage. Once again confusedly as the Japanese advanced relentlessly to

The officers and men of Exeterand Ajax march through Admiralty Arch on their way to the Guildhall (The Times)

20
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(po/N) snnoq aglaano ueas aq ueo uooileq e6eaaeq y •aouepiAa

ui gonw aaesleol ; Aalaeo-sunbuiquinnlaglpueswao }leldwod - wodapdZagl l oauobuinnogsaalienbpaeogielsaqlwoaJnnamy
The repaired and modernised Exeter hoisting in a Walrus aircraft. Evident are the enlarged bridge, the short tripod masts, the twin 4in
gun platforms in their new positions extending over the side by the bridge and after funnel. The port 2pdr pom-pom platform is seen
forward of the mainmast and the 0.5 placements are shown on top of 'B' and'Y'turrets (/WM)

occupy the islands of the East Indies, with their
wealth of oil as the principal objective.
The Battle of the Java Sea
Three hours after reaching Sourabaya on 25
February, Exeter sailed, again under Rear-Admiral
Doorman, in the mixed fleet that so gallantly, yet so
forlornly was to fight until its destruction in the
Java Sea. The names of these ships are worthy of
proud recollection-HMNS de Ruyter, de Witt,
Kortenear, HMAS Perth, USS Houston, Pope,
J. D. Edwards, Alden, Paul Jones, Ford, H M S Exeter,
Electra, Encounter and Jupiter.
Throughout the brightly moonlit night, the allied
fleet unsuccessfully swept the waters off Sourabaya
in search of the reported enemy troop convoy. Just
after dawn, Japanese reconnaissance aircraft
appeared and began sporadic attacks but, as the
convoy had not been sighted, Admiral Doorman
turned for Sourabaya to refuel his destroyers; he
reversed course when an enemy threat of four
cruisers and 14 destroyers was reported 90 miles
away. Just after 1600, Electra was fired upon and
the Battle of the Java Sea had begun. Only the 8in
guns of Exeter and Houston could engage at this
extreme range; one Japanese cruiser was hit and
she withdrew under a pall of smoke. But at 1651
Exeter suffered flooding of some compartments from
a near miss: 15 minutes later a shell passed through
the gun shield of her starboard 4in gun turret and
No. 1 boiler-room ventilator down into 'B' boiler
room. The shell failed to detonate but exploded on
entering a boiler. Six of the cruiser's eight boilers
were put out of action and a temporary loss of
electric power put the main armament out of action.
As speed was soon reduced to 11 knots, Exeter was
forced to haul out of the line, throwing the allied
line into confusion. In the subsequent manoeuvres

An artist's impression of the sinking of HMS Exeter (Illustrated London News)

22
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 this Profile would never have been started, let alone
finished.

Bibliography
Naval Policy Between the Wars by Captain Stephen
Roskill, Collins
The Drama of the Graf Spee and The Battle of the River
Plate by Sir Eugen Millington-Drake, Davies
No Surrender by W. E. Johns and W. E. Kelly, Harrap
Fight it Out by Captain 0. L. Gordon, Kimber
The Battle of the River Plate by Dudley Pope, Kimber
The Battle of the Java Sea by D. A. Thomas, Deutsch
British Naval Aircraft 1912-1958 by Owen Thetford,
Putnam

Series Editor: JOHN WINGATE DSC

The end of Exeter, taken from a Japanese aircraft . The ship is
still underway (/WM)

H MS Ajax, flagship, flying Commodore Harwood's broad pendant (Courtesy, Sir Eugen Millington-Drake, KCMG)

24
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Warship Profile and its contents are copyright © Profile Publications Limited , Coburg House , Sheet Street , Windsor, Berkshire, England
Printed in England by Chichester Press Limited , Chichester , Sussex November 1971