Caledon 1917
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Caledon | D53 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 17/3/1916 | 25/11/1916 | 3/1917 | sold for BU 1/1948 |
| Calypso | D61 | Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn | 7/2/1916 | 24/1/1917 | 6/1917 | sunk 12/6/1940 |
| Caradoc | D60 | Scotts, Greenock | 21/2/1916 | 23/12/1916 | 6/1917 | sold for BU 4/1946 |
| Cassandra | Vickers, Barrow | 3/1916 | 25/11/1916 | 6/1917 | sunk 5/12/1918 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
4120 |
|
Displacement full, t |
4950 |
|
Length, m |
137.2 |
|
Breadth, m |
13.0 |
|
Draught, m |
5.00 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Parsons geared steam turbines, 6 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
40000 |
|
Max speed, kn |
29 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 935 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 5900(10) |
| Armour, mm |
belt: 76 - 32, deck: 25, CT: 152, gun shields: 25 |
|
Armament |
Caledon, Cassandra: 5 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk XII, 2 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 4 x 2 - 533 TT, flying-off platform, 1 aircraft (Pup) Calypso, Caradoc: 5 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk XII, 2 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 4 x 2 - 533 TT |
|
Complement |
400 (437 as flagship) |
Ship project history: Caledon class ships had usual armament arrangement at one level (except two superimposed aft guns). Strongly suffered from splashing of a fore end. "C" type cruisers were created for service in the North Sea under 1915 year design and become obsolete to the beginning of 1930th, and in 1935 the decision to convert them to AA ships was accepted.
Two prototypes were appeared successful and during the period 1936-1940 it was planed rearm 11 "C" type ships. Caledon passed update since September, 1942 till December, 1943.
The arms structure on her significantly differed from earlier conversions: the number of 102mm mounts was cut to three, but means of small calibre AA guns have significantly amplified. After conversion of Caledon the program have ultimately ended: there was no sense to spend means for obsolete ships.
Protection: Armoured belt protected ship at full length, its thickness was 76mm abreast machinery spaces (51mm armour on 25mm plating), 51mm (38mm armour on 13mm plating) aft and 38mm (25mm armour on 13mm plating) fore. Belt was closed by aft 25mm bulkhead near stern. It extended to main deck (and to upper deck abreast machinery). Machinery and steering gear were covered by 25mm deck.
Modernizations: mid-1918, Caledon, Cassandra: fore flying-off platform and hangar were replaced by turning flying-off platform amidship
1919, all: CT was replaced by lighter one with thinner armour.
1920s, all: + 2 x 1 - 40/39 pompom
3/1942, Caradoc: - 2 x 1 - 40/39; + 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 271, 290 radars
(9/1942 - 12/1943, Chatham DYd), Caledon: Full new armament was fitted: 3 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI HA, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, type 273, 281B, 282 (2 sets), 285 radars. Fore superstructure was reconstructed.
10/1944, Caledon: + 6 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon. Full displacement rose to 5320t, including 200t of solid ballast.
Naval service: Caledon was hit by 305mm shell in Heligoland Bight 17/11/1917. Calypso took part in this action too, when all bridge personnel was killed by a shell. She was sunk by a torpedo from Italian submarine Bagnolini 12/6/1940 near Tobruk. Caradoc stranded on Fair Isle in 15/8/1917 with Cassandra. Cassandra was sunk by Russian mine in Gulf of Finland.
Calypso 1919
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09