Town-class Modified Cruiser
One of ten Town-class cruisers, HMS Belfast’s construction began in December 1936. Fittingly, she was launched on St Patrick's Day 1938 and
commissioned in early August 1939. In November 1939, as part of the British naval blockade against Germany, she was severely damaged by a German acoustic mine. She spent more than two years undergoing extensive repairs but returned to active service in November 1942, with improved firepower, radar equipment, and protective armour.
She saw action escorting Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union during 1943 and, in December of that year, played an important role in the Battle of North Cape, assisting in the destruction of the German warship Scharnhorst. In June 1944, HMS Belfast took part in Operation Overlord, supporting the Normandy landings. She was redeployed to the Far East, in June 1945; joining the British Pacific Fleet shortly before the end of the Second World War. HMS Belfast saw further combat action in 1950–52, during the Korean War and underwent an extensive modernisation refit between 1956 and
1959. A number of further overseas commissions followed, before she entered the fleet reserve in 1963. She became a museum ship in 1971; permanently moored on the River Thames in London. The illustration has been displayed on board since 1985.