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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM
CRUISERS
BELLONA light AA cruisers (5, 1943 - 1944)


Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Bellona (RNZN 1948 - 1956) 63, 1948- C63 679 Fairfield, Govan 30.11.1939 29.9.1942 29.10.1943 to New Zealand 1948 - 1956, sold for BU 2.1958
Black Prince (RNZN 1946) 81, 1948- C81 1049 Harland & Wolff, Belfast 2.11.1939 27.8.1942 20.11.1943 to New Zealand 1946, stricken 11.1961
Diadem 84, 1948- C84 624 Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn 15.12.1939 26.8.1942 6.1.1944 to Pakistan 2.1956 (Babur)
Royalist (RNZN 7.1956) 89, 1948- C89 585 Scotts, Greenock 21.3.1940 30.5.1942 10.9.1943 to New Zealand 7.1956, sold for BU 11.1967
Spartan 95 767 Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow 21.12.1939 27.8.1942 10.8.1943 sunk 29.1.1944


Technical data


Max speed, kts, kn

32

Displacement standard, t

5950

Displacement full, t

7350 - 7410

Length, m

147.8 pp 156.1 oa

Breadth, m

15.4

Draught, m

5.41 - 5.46

No of shafts

4

Machinery

4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

62000

Fuel, t

oil 1042 - 1100

Endurance, nm(kts)5100(15)
Armour, mm

belt: 76, bulkheads: 25, turrets: 13, deck: 51 - 25

Armament

4 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 3 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 3 - 533 TT

Royalist: 4 x 2 - 133/50 QF Mk I, 3 x 4 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk VIII, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 2 x 3 - 533 TT

Electronic equipmenttype 272, type 281, 3x type 282, type 284, 2x type 285 radars
Complement

530



Standard scale images


<i>Spartan</i> 1943
Spartan 1943


Project history

A little revised design of Dido class with number of 133mm mounts moderated to four and third quadruple pom-pom. They had vertical funnels and masts without a rack. Royalist right after completion was converted to command ship.

Protection

Armoured belt protected machinery spaces and extended up to upper deck level abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck level abreast aft engine room. Magazines had 76-mm sides. Armoured deck was 25-mm thick over machinery and steering gear and 51-mm over magazines.

Modernizations 6.

1944, Black Prince: + 2 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk I/III, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 10 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

4/1945, Bellona: + 8 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

4/1945, Diadem: + 2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV

1945, Black Prince: - 2 x 1 - 20/70; + 6 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors Mk III

1.1946, Bellona: 4 x 2 - 133/50 RP.10 Mk II, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 272, type 281, 3x type 282, type 284, 2x type 285 radars

1.1946, Black Prince: 4 x 2 - 133/50 RP.10 Mk II, 8 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 8 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 272, type 281, 3x type 282, type 284, 2x type 285 radars

1.1946, Diadem: 4 x 2 - 133/50 RP.10 Mk II, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 8 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 6 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 272, type 281, 3x type 282, type 284, 2x type 285 radars

1.1946, Royalist: 4 x 2 - 133/50 RP.10 Mk II, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 2 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk III, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, type 272, type 281, 3x type 282, type 284, 2x type 285 radars

Naval service

Spartan was sunk 29.1.1944 by German Hs 293 gliding bomb launched from Do 217 bomber off Anzio (Italy). Diadem was damaged by German torpedo 12.8.1944 and repaired till the end of war.

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