Broadsword- Class Light Cruiser
In the late 1930s the need for a long range light cruiser mostly for long range escort and colonial policing arose. The current Prince-Class Cruisers simply didn't have the range or armament needed for the task. These new ships would need to be able to hit hard and have a range of armaments due to the simple fact that they would need to operate alone or in small numbers for long periods of time against a range of enemies. Several designs were put forward including a design that included a twin 11in turret amid ships, though this design was obviously scrapped in favor of the “Cruiser Mk1939 A” which would become the Broadsword-Class. The final design would displace around 11,000 Tons with a 10in belt. The ship would have a main battery of 8x 8in, 38 caliber guns in four double turrets (two front, two aft) with a secondary battery of 4x single 5in guns amidships with 4x quad 40mm AA batteries. The ship would also be armed with a quadruple torpedo launcher just forward of the C turret on the aft of the ship. The first ship was laid down in late 1939 and was christened as “APS Broadsword” giving the class its name. In the following years before the outbreak of the twelve-years war, a further 18 Broadsword-Class ships were built and used extensively in their designed role, mostly in The Colmari ocean and Northern routes. In the pre war battle of Alkir, two Broadswords, APS Citadel and APS Kendall engaged and sank two Vilkite destroyers and a cruiser after they attacked Acentian shipping off the coast of Nouvelle Loetie in early 1941. Once the war started production of the Broadsword increased and 22 more were built by Acentia during the war and due to the ANA Naval treaty, more than 66 broadsword were built by other nations during and in the years after the war, most of which stayed in service until the 1970s after being modified. During the war The Broadswords preformed extraordinarily in most cases but showed a weakness to below the waterline hits mainly from Torpedoes which just one well placed torpedo amidships could break her in half though this fixed on many ships during the war be reinforcing the hull below the waterline and adding more bulkheads. In the latter parts of the war and in the Post war era the ships received many upgrades mainly in 1956 most of the surviving ships were converted into the Broadsword II-Class which removed the main battery in favor of vertical launch tubes for guided missiles and added a surface to air missiles battery on the aft of the ship in place of the C turret. Several broadswords were even still in service with various minor navies across the planet even into 2010s though all have since been retired or mothballed.
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