194 BRITISH LIGHT CRUISERS 1939-45

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The light cruiser was a natural development of the sailing frigate - a fast multi-purpose warship that could patrol the sea lanes, protect convoys and scout for enemy battle fleets. By the inter-war period the need for this type of ship was even more important, given the increasing need for protection from aircraft and the need to screen the fleet from submarines or destroyers.

Wartime experience showed that the British light cruiser proved to be one of the most versatile types of ship in the Royal Navy -- able to protect other warships, bombard enemy shores, guard life-saving convoys, and intercept and destroy enemy warships. While the battleships and carriers grabbed the headlines, light cruisers became the workhorses of the Royal Navy.