The Tiger class were a class of three British warships of the 20th century and the last all-gun cruisers of the Royal Navy. Construction as Minotaur-class cruisers began during World War II but due to post-war austerity, the Korean War and Churchill favouring nuclear weapons and aircraft over the surface fleet, the hulls remained unfinished. Approval to complete them to a modified design was given in November 1954 and the three ships - Tiger, Lion and Blake entered service from March 1959. In 1964 two of the Tigers were converted into helicopter-carrying cruisers, first carrying four Westland Wessex helicopters for amphibious operations then four Westland Sea Kings for anti-submarine work. The conversion of Blake and Tiger, carried out between 1965 and 1972, was more expensive than expected and so the conversion of Lion was cancelled and she was scrapped in 1975, having been used for spares for her sister ships. Often described and viewed in the Royal Navy as "hideous and useless hybrids", and with limited manpower, resources, and better ships available Tiger and Blake were decommissioned in the late 1970s and placed in reserve. Blake was scrapped in 1982 and Tiger in 1986.