NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Penelope 1936

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Arethusa	26, 1948- C26		Chatham DYd	25.1.1933	6.3.1934	23.5.1935	sold for BU 1949
Aurora	12, 1948- C12		Portsmouth DYd	23.7.1935	20.8.1936	12.11.1937	to China 5.1948 (重庆 [Chung King])
Galatea	71	559	Scotts, Greenock	2.6.1933	9.8.1934	14.8.1935	sunk 14.12.1941
Penelope	97	940	Harland & Wolff, Belfast	30.5.1934	15.10.1935	13.11.1936	sunk 18.2.1944

Technical data

Max speed, kts, kn	32.3
Displacement standard, t	5220 - 5270
Displacement full, t	6665 - 6715 (later 7180 - 7400)
Length, m	146.3 pp 154.2 oa
Breadth, m	15.5
Draught, m	5.03 deep load (later 5.36 - 5.51)
No of shafts	4
Machinery	4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	64000
Fuel, t	oil 1250 - 1325 (later 1115 - 1150)
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armour, mm	box protection to magazines: 76 - 25, belt: 57, bulkheads: 25, barbettes: 19, turrets: 25, deck: 25
Armament	Arethusa, Galatea: 3 x 2 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V, 2 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 х 3 - 533 TT, 1 aircraft (Osprey), 1 catapult D-I-L Penelope:  3 x 2 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 х 3 - 533 TT, 1 aircraft (Osprey), 1 catapult D-I-L Aurora:  3 x 2 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 2 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 х 3 - 533 TT
Complement	500

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The reduced variant of Leander, but with machinery arranged en echelon (as Phaeton class), three main turrets and slightly thinner armour. They were smaller in comparison with the predecessor: Leanders were too large for service with squadrons. To more rational disposing of limited by the London conference 91 000t displacement it has been decided to built instead of the next ships of Leander class some cruisers of the smaller size. The tonnage spared thus was supposed to expend for last two ships (future Southampton class), from among resolved to building during the period till 1936.

Already during building antiaircraft armament have decided to be strengthen having replace single 102mm guns by twins, but as their production just began first two ships were completed with single 102mm, twin mounts have appeared already on Penelope and Aurora. Latter was completed as a flag ship for destroyers of Home Fleet and had no catapult, on its place the superstructure for a headquarters was placed.

Protection

Armoured belt protected machinery spaces (57mm armour on 13mm plating) and extended to upper deck abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck abreast aft engine room. Machinery and steering gear also were protected by 25mm armoured deck. Magazines were covered by 76mm longitudinal and 76mm transverse bulkheads and 51mm crowns.

Modernizations

1939, Galatea: - 4 x 1 - 102/45; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI

1939, all but Penelope: - 4 x 1 - 47/40

6/1940, Aurora: + 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 1 x 20 - 178 UP AA rockets projector

1/1941, Galatea: - 1 catapult with seaplane; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 279 radar

4/1941, Arethusa: - 1 catapult with seaplane; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII

5/1941, Aurora: + type 290 radar

7/1941, Arethusa: + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 20 - 178 UP AA rockets projectors, type 286M radar

7/1941, Penelope: - 1 catapult with seaplane; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, type 281, type 284, type 285 radars

8/1941, Aurora: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 1 x 20 - 178 UP; + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

10/1941, Arethusa: - type 286M; + type 272, type 284 radars

1/1942, Penelope: + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

3/1942, Arethusa: - 4 x 1 - 102/45, 2 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 x 20 - 178 UP, type 286 radar; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281 radar

6/1942, Aurora: - type 290 radar; + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 281, type 284, type 285 radars

9/1942, Penelope: - 2 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 273 radar

10/1942, Arethusa: + 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

12/1943, Arethusa: - 2 x 4 - 40/39, 3 x 1 - 20/70, type 272 radar; + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors Mk 1.2, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 282, type 283 radars

4/1944, Aurora: - 4 x 1 - 20/70 ; + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

10/1945, Aurora: - 3 x 1 - 20/70; + 1 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1.1946, Arethusa: 3 x 2 - 152/50 Mk XXI, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 х 3 - 533 TT, type 281, type 282, type 283, type 284 radars

1.1946, Aurora: 3 x 2 - 152/50 Mk XXI, 4 x 2 - 102/45 Mk XIX, 2 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 3 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 х 3 - 533 TT, type 281, type 284, type 285 radars

Naval service

Galatea was sunk by three torpedoes from German submarine U557 near Alexandria and sunk for 3 minutes. Penelope was damaged by German aircraft (bomb) 10.4.1940 and repaired 2 months.  She was again damaged by German bombs in the beginning of April, 1941 and repaired till the end of a year. She was sunk by two torpedoes from German submarine U410 off Anzio 18.2.1944. Arethusa was damaged by German aircraft (bomb) 27.11.1941 and repaired 3 months.  She was again damaged by an aircraft torpedo 18.11.1942 and has failed more than for a year. Next time Arethusa was damaged by German bombs 24 and 25.6.1944 and repaired 6 months. Aurora was damaged by close explosion of a mine 19.12.1941 and repaired till July, 1942. She was damaged by hit of 500kg bomb 20.10.1943 and has failed for 5 months.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.