HMS Enterprise was one of two
Emerald-class light cruisers of the
Royal Navy. She was built by
John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd., with the keel being laid down on 28 June 1918. She was launched on 23 December 1919, and commissioned on 7 April 1926. She was the 14th ship to serve with the Royal Navy to carry the name
Enterprise, a name which is still used in the Royal Navy today.
In the early 1930s,
Enterprise was fitted with a prototype twin 6" turret in place of her two forward single mounts; and with the trials proving successful it was retained for the rest of her service career. This turret was later worked into the design of the
Leander,
Amphion and
Arethusa classes. The turret installation occupied less space than the superimposed 'A' and 'B' guns of
Emerald, therefore the bridge was placed further forward. The bridge was of a new design, being a single block topped by a director tower, rather than the traditional platforms built around the foremast and wheelhouse topped with a spotting top. This design of bridge would appear in the
County-class cruisers.
<Wikipedia>