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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY - UNITED KINGDOM

CRUISERS

LEANDER class light cruisers

Ajax 1939

Ajax 1943

Ajax 1943

Achilles 1945

 

Displacement standard, t	6985 - 7270
Displacement full, t	9000 - 9280 (later 9460 - 9740)
Length, m	159.1 pp 169.0 oa
Breadth, m	17.0 Leander: 16.8
Draught, m	5.79 - 5.99 deep load (later 6.07 - 6.22)
No of shafts	4
Machinery	Parsons geared steam turbines, 6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	72000
Max speed, kn	32.5
Fuel, t	oil 1680 - 1785
Endurance, nm(kts)	10300(14)
Armour, mm	box protection to magazines: 89 - 25, belt: 76 on 25mm plating, bulkheads: 38, barbettes: 25, turrets: 25, deck: 51 - 25
Armament	4 x 2 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 3 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 х 4 - 533 TT, 2 (later 1) aircraft (Fairey III, Osprey, Seal), 1 catapult D-I-L Leander: 4 x 2 - 152/50 BL Mk XXIII, 4 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V HA, 4 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 3 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 х 4 - 533 TT, 2 (later 1) aircraft (Fairey III, Osprey, Seal), 1 catapult E-II-H
Complement	570

Ship project history: First British cruisers designed taking into account results of London conference of 1930, according to which Britain had the right to build till 1936 some cruisers of a category "B" (no more than 10 000t displacement , not above 155mm main guns) with the general displacement 91 000t.

It was supposed to build 14 6500t ships designed on a basis of Exeter with similar protection but with 8 152mm guns and less powerful machinery. The last, together with some re-planning of boiler rooms, has allowed to deduce boiler uptakes to single funnel.

As well as on Kent class, basic thrust became not on achievement of a high speed or heavy armament, but on seaworthiness and endurance. Unlike cruisers with 203mm guns they not were so rigidly limited by limitations as a result their displacement was significant (almost on 1000t) exceeded the planed. It has compelled Admiralty to shrink number of ships of class to 8 (taking into account three "improved" ships of Amphion class).

Protection: Armoured belt protected machinery spaces (51mm armour on 25mm plating) and extended to upper deck abreast boiler rooms and to main deck abreast engine rooms. Machinery also was protected by 32mm armoured deck. Magazines were covered by 89mm longitudinal and 76mm transverse bulkheads and 51mm crowns. Steering gear was protected by 32mm deck with 38mm slopes.

Modernizations: 1936 - 1938, all but Achilles: - 4 x 1 - 102/45; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI HA

3/1936, Achilles: - 1 catapult D-I-L with Osprey seaplane; + 1 catapult E-II-H with 1 Walrus seaplane

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

early 1940, Ajax: - 1 catapult D-I-L with Osprey seaplane; + 1 catapult E-II-H with Walrus seaplane, type 279 radar

5/1941, Neptune: + 3 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 3 x 4 - 12.7/62, type 281, 284, 285 radars

5/1941, Ajax: - 1 catapult with seaplane; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom

6/1941, Leander: - 1 catapult with seaplane; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom

8/1941, Orion: - 1 catapult with seaplane

late 1941, Leander: - 3 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 5 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 1 catapult E-II-H with 1 Walrus seaplane

early 1942, Ajax: + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

2/1942, Orion: - 3 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 2 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 279, 284, 285 radars

4/1942, Orion: + type 273 radar

1942, Achilles: - 4 x 1 - 102/45, 3 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 7 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

mid-1942, Leander: + type 284, 291 radars

mid-1942, Ajax: - 3 x 4 - 12.7/62; + 1 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 272, 284 radars

10/1942, Orion: + 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

early 1943, Leander: - 1 catapult with seaplane; + 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 273 radar

8/1943, Ajax; 10/1943, Orion: - 2 x 4 - 40/39, 4 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 4 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

5/1944, Achilles: - 1 x 2 - 152/50 ("X"), 3 x 1 - 20/70, 1 catapult with seaplane; + 4 x 2 - 102/45 QF Mk XVI HA, 4 x 4 - 40/39 pompom, 7 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, type 277, 281B, 4x 282, 2x 285, 293 radars

1944, Ajax: + 1 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon

4/1945, Achilles: - 2 x 2 - 20/70; + 4 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, 1 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon

8/1945, Leander: - 1 x 2 - 152/50 ("X"), 5 x 1 - 20/70; + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 3 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2x type 285 radars

Naval service: Achilles and Ajax were damaged 13/12/1939 in battle with German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee, repair lasted 2 and 6 months respectively. Achilles was damaged by Japanese bomb at Guadalcanal 5/1/1943 and has failed almost on one and half year. Ajax was damaged 1/1/1943 by the 500kg bomb off Cape Bon (Mediterranean sea) and has failed for a year. Leander was damaged by Japanese 610mm torpedo 13/7/1943 in battle at Kolombangara (Solomon Islands) and was under repair till the end of war. Orion was damaged 29/5/1941 by German aircraft off Crete (2 bomb hits)   and has failed for 9 months. Neptune was lost after being stricken by three or four Italian mines near Tripoli 19/12/1941.

       Ajax 1935

 

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© Ivan Gogin, 2008-09