HMS Blake C99

Loved these old gals particularly with the huge hangar and flight deck know im in minority there nice post ty for sharing

Nice clean lines,built like a Greyhound.

I agree WD, beauts, I love the sheer mass of the ship. Tiger used to dominate Portsmouth Harbor.

I wonder how the Russians assessed her threat?

Not muchski Comrade

Hmm! They were not that well armed once they were converted. I'm sure a single Sverdlov class cruiser could have taken her out. Probably could have been taken out by the Argentine Belgrano had their destinies crossed.

Agreed Stevo, poorly armed in comparison to other cruisers I suppose, and those 6 and 3" guns were quite troublesome but fast firing when they did work, twin SeaCat, Corvus chaff and a few 40/60 and 20mm for AA is pretty poor too, but pretty standard for the RN of the time.
She could carry 2 seaking helicopters but I am sure these were ASW so either Mk 11 depth charges and mk46 or later Stingray torpedoes, not altogether sure if UK seakings could carry Sea Eagle to give an ASuW punch like the UK fixed wing jets, (I think the Indian helos could).
Loved the look of these ships pre modification, but not really a fan of the Frankenstein like flight deck/hangar combo, which I think totally destroyed the original elegant lines of the Cat Class, but still, it gave the ships a useful force ASW capability, which at the time of her conversion was the RN's primary role in NATO (when we had the lead in the world for ASW........a capability we have now lost I fear), I remember doing some CASEX (ASW exercises) with Blake and she was quite handy with her helos and flight deck capability.
I always remember being very impressed as a young sailor by the scale and size of the armour plate on the waterline and on the hatches and bulkheads below decks in Snakey Blake.

Great photo, also managed to capture a Seaking conducting a HIFR from Blakes Flight deck.