Minotaur-class cruiser (1943)  The Minotaur" class of light cruisers of the British Royal Navy, also known as the Swiftsure" class, was designed as a modified version of the incorporating war modifications and authorised in 1941. However, in spite of the heavy toll of cruisers in that year and the following one, the building of this new class had a relatively low priority and only three were completed by end of World War II. They played no significant part in the Second World War, though "Swiftsure", as flagship of the British Pacific Cruiser Squadron, was selected by Admiral Cecil Harcourt to hoist his flag for the Japanese surrender at Hong Kong. "Superb" was completed to a slightly different design. The class was originally to have consisted of nine ships, laid down in 1943, but by the end of World War II only "Minotaur", , and were complete, whilst the others were laid up. "Minotaur" was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed "Ontario". While the basic specifications and original armament were only a slight enlargement of the Crown Colony-class with an extra twin 4-inch turret, the "Minotaurs" did represent a substantial advance towards more sophisticated weapon control and integration of command and control and AIO and developments towards operation room control of fighting ships. By 1944 the seven "Minotaurs" under construction represented four distinct groups, which were so significantly different that they should probably be regarded as four separate classes of cruiser. "Swiftsure" introduced the reliable 274 lock and follow radar, which increased the accuracy of the main armament to get on target quickly. The second "Superb" extended this more advanced radar with the addition of 275 for anti aircraft fire control, although "Superb"′s version lacked the flyplane or the accurate finishing in the version fitted to later s. The third group of "Minotaurs", the "Tigers", were being built from quite early in their evolution with a different main battery consisting of three triple Mk 24 6-inch turrets, which were dual purpose, elevating to 60 degrees, and which automatically tracked and followed targets under 274/275 radar control. These guns and those for "Hawke", the fourth "Tiger", were nearly complete by late 1946 and were stored at Rosyth until the late 1950s as alternatives to the Mk 26 automatic twin 6-inch guns that were eventually fitted. "Hawke" represented a further development, surprisingly scrapped on the slip in late 1945, with its boilers and machinery complete, and its guns nearly finished.