(HMS Roberts). The main mission of these ships was to defend the coast, and of course, with its powerful main artillery could put in serious trouble to any enemy ship. Unfortunately, its low speed and limited protection reduced its chances of being victorious in battles against other well-armed vessels.(HMS Abercrombie). Although these ships may seem outdated, the fact is that they were a cheaper option to cover certain types of missions, in which it was not worth using capital ships. With more than 9,000 tons of displacement, these vessels were larger than many cruisers and larger than any destroyer in service at that time.(HMS Roberts). Although the degree of protection did not reach that of the battleships, it was a fairly careful factor. They had adequate protection over the 381mm magazines, reaching 152mm in thickness, and also had a 37mm splinter protection. The lower deck upon the steering gear reached 75mm in thickness and the turrets had an armor of 330mm in the face, 280mm on the sides and rear and up to 152mm on the roof.(HMS Roberts). HMS Roberts was hit by two 500-kg bombs during her participation in Operation Torch in North Africa, and although it was severely damaged, its armour resisted well. In fact, the protection of the central area of the ship was designed to withstand up to an explosive charge of 500 kg, and it became clear that the design was effective.(HMS Roberts). The service sheet of HMS Roberts was very extensive, participating in Operation Torch, Operation Husky, Operation Avalanche, D-Day landings, (in the area of Sword beach), Walcheren operations and Operation Mailfist. It was decommissioned in 1946 and sent to Devonport, where it remained as an accomodation ship until 1965, when it was finally scrapped.(HMS Abercrombie). The HMS Abercrombie service sheet was not so extensive as HMS Roberts but was also remarkable. She participated in the Invasion of Sicily providing support to the US Navy and the US Army during their operations on the East and South coast of the island. Shortly thereafter, while participating in Operation Avalanche, she collided with a mine and received damage that was repaired in Taranto Naval Base. Again, in August of 1944, she struck against two mines in the southeast of Malta, and its participation in WWII ended. It was decommissioned after the war and served as a gunnery training ship for a short period. Then it remained as an acommodation ship in Chatham until December 1954 when it was scrapped.
