HMS York

Palmer Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow, launched this heavy cruiser on 17 July 1928 and she entered service in the Royal Navy on 1 May 1930. She was the lead ship for the planned 5 ships of her class, built to a modified design based on the earlier County classes but intended to be cheaper than the predecessors.

YORK served with the 8th Cruiser Squadron on the America and West Indies Station, in the Mediterranean in 1935 and 1936, on the America Station until October 1939, and then with Force F based at Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. At the end of the Norwegian campaign she evacuated British and French troops from Namsos alongside HMS DEVONSHIRE, the French cruiser MONTCALM and 3 French transports. She then went to the Mediterranean and joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron on convoy duties.

YORK was anchored at Suda Bay in Crete when two Italian barchini, small explosive motor boats launched by the destroyers CRISPI and SELLA, attacked her on 26 March 1941. Two men of her complement were killed in action. After further damage by air attack over the next two months caused her to be abandoned completely, her crew beached her in shallow water and wrecked her with demolition charges on 22 May 1941. After the war salvage teams refloated the wreck and towed her to Bari, Italy for breaking up in 1952.

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