HMS Sheffield: The Life and Times of ‘Old Shiny’

HMS Sheffield was one of the most distinguished warships to serve throughout the Second World War.

Launched in 1936 by Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent, HMS Sheffield was the third of the Royal Navy’s ten Town-class cruisers.

She marked a number of firsts: the first ship to be named for Sheffield, the first to have stainless steel fixtures instead of brass, and the first to carry operational RDF (Radio Direction Finding) equipment.

Old Shiny, as she became affectionately known, was manufactured to the high standards of peacetime.

Even hitting a mine was unable to render her inactive for long.

Her crew simply manufactured a wooden patch, and saw her safely home.

Achieving twelve honours over thirty years’ service, Old Shiny notably exchanged salvoes with the Bismarck, engaged Admiral Hipper and Lützow, and helped sink Scharnhorst.

A more unusual deployment came in 1956, as HMS Sheffield was one of the ships loaned by the Admiralty for the Technicolor epic The Battle of the River Plate!

Drawn from the experiences of the men who lived, fought and served on board, in HMS Sheffield Ronald Bassett paints an evocative and highly personal portrait of Old Shiny, and shows how she was more than just a warship.