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HMS Birmingham was a member of the first group of five ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers....

HMS Birmingham was a member of the first group of five ships of the "Town" class of light cruisers. She was built at Devonport Dockyard (Plymouth, U.K), and launched on 1 September 1936. Birmingham initially joined the 5th Cruiser Squadron on the China Station in January 1938. On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, she left for Malta for a refit before joining the Home Fleet in March-April 1940. Birmingham was a unit of the 18th Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet, initially used to patrol off the coast of Norway to prevent German fishing vessels operating in this area. In mid-April Birmingham, HMS Manchester and HMS Cairo escorted a troop convoy to Norway, and in May, Birmingham, in company with HMS Manchester evacuated 1500 troops from Åndalsnes. She returned to the UK was in refit between September-December 1940. From January until April 1941 Birmingham escorted troop convoys to the Middle East, around the Cape of Good Hope. In May she returned to home waters, and was involved in the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. Birmingham had already put to sea from Scapa Flow on a patrol of the Iceland-Faroes passage, and did not