She was posted the last years of the interwar in the North America and West Indies Station. She was scrapped in 1950. HMS Orion circa 1943; notice the tripod masts and lower ports welded shut. Neptune was the fourth ship of its class and was the ninth Royal Navy vessel to carry the name. She was back in the Mediterranean in February 1944, and later took part in June to D-Day artillery barrage and cover, as part of Force K, off Gold Beach. She actively served in that role until 1943 and joined the US Navy Task Force 67 to operate at Guadalcanal. Type: Leander Class Cruiser. Smith. In late 1940 to 1941 she took part in the escort of British convoys to Malta while trying to intercept axis ones. Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942 Conway’s all the world’s fighting ships 1921-1947 www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Achilles.htm www.naval-history.net/xGM-Tech-NZRadar.htm navymuseum.co.nz/hmshmnzs-achilles-leander-class-cruiser/ uboat.net/allies/warships/class/67.html www.hmsajax.org/the-battle-of-the-river-plate/4559373096 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leander-class_cruiser_(1931) rapidttp.co.za/waratsea/neptune.html ericcolbourne.com/remembrance/ i.ytimg.com/vi/xzyo_xSnUas/maxresdefault.jpg blueprints-depot/ships/cruisers-uk/hms-ajax-1942-light-cruiser.pngModel of the Ajax, Your email address will not be published. Plan Scale: 1:200. [10] "Lord Northbook's board were deeply impressed with the necessity for developing the construction of vessel of the Leander" type. ", 20 ft 8 in (6.30 m) aft, 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m) forward. when radar-spotting the IJN cruiser Jintsu and escort off Kolombangara (Solomon) and in the Battle that followed all four cruisers were met by a torpedo storm and badly hit. In the end only one survivor was picked-up out of a total crew of 737 sailors and officers. She would serve as a training vessel postwar, ironically sold for scrap to a Japanese shipbreaker on 22 February 1962. The entire gun barrel was 300-in (7.6 meters) and weighted 7,000 kgs. I hear the Leander herself was rather unlucky in that after a brief Mediterranean sortie, she was sent to the Pacific and badly torpedoed by a Sendai class light cruiser of the IJN - and that was it for her war career, but her crew were transferred to the crown colony class light cruiser HMS Gambia, which replaced the Leander as the NZ component of the Royal Navy. Media in category "Leander class cruiser (1931)" This category contains only the following file. Her crew at that stage was composed of 60% New Zealanders. Their general configuration was scaled up to the big First Class cruisers and down to the torpedo cruisers, whilst traces of the protected deck scheme can even be recognised in some sloops. During the rest of the summer she stayed at Alexandria for a refit and received her camouflage. Jump to: navigation, search. When the war broke out, Perth was sailing off the coast of Venezuela. After 5 minutes of fierce fighting her main armament was mostly disabled but she was partly masked by the smoke caused by her multiple fires. British light cruiser HMS Leander (C75) underway in 1943.. HMS Leander (75) was a light cruiser which served with the Royal Navy during World War II.She was the lead ship of a class of fourteen ships, the Leander-class light cruisers.. Leander was launched at Devonport on July 13 th 1929. HMS Leander (Devonport 1931) was commissioned first with the the Royal Navy, as HMS Leander in march 1933 but joined Achilles in the New Zealand Division. HMAS Sydney fought with distinction at the Battle of Cape Spada, Battle of Cape Matapan and Battle of Calabria. They destroyed the Italian tanker Ermioni. A new generation light cruiser designed to serve as a scout both within a squadron and independently. Her first wartime action was to patrol down south to the Falklands, capturing or sinking the Olinda, German merchantman Carl Fritzen and Ussukuma. They were first and foremost intended for commerce protection, escort vessels. She covered several convoys to Malta with the 7th Cruiser Squadron and was air attacked several times. HMS Leander, the 7289-ton (standard displacement) lead ship of a class of five light cruisers, was built at Devonport, England. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Leander on July 23 rd 1931. During the battle she acted as flaghsip of Force G (Commodore Henry Harwood). "A new and better policy of unarmoured construction was inaugurated by the Admiralty of 1874-80. On trials, 32.45 knots were reached by HMS Leander. She took part in the Battle of Cape Matapan and was repeatedly by the Lufwaffe, but evacuated British troops from Crete while York was lost there. The funnels were afterwards raised from 60 ft (18 m) to 68 ft (21 m) (the same height as those of the first-class cruisers), while the space between the firebars was increased. The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. Author’s HD illustration of HMS neptune in 1944. Their secondary armament consisted of four QF 4 inch Mk V naval guns, which were later replaced by twin mountings for eight guns (the later QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun). However this sytem was copied on the next class Arethusa. Their speed is 17 knots… Their coal supply is 1016 tons. She was later sent to the Pacific to join the ANZAC squadron after a short refit in Brisbane, with AA and other alterations. They also lost catapult and crane in 1941 (Ajax-Orion) and 1943 (Leander, Achilles). The three ships of the second group were sold to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) before World War II and renamed after Australian cities. In 1937 their four single 102 mm guns were replaced by four modern 102 mm Mark XVI in twin mounts. Also they carried two quadruple banks each side of standard 21-in TTs. However, the Leander-class differed from previous light cruisers by placing a higher emphasis on seaworthiness and operating range, … HMS Apollo before transfer to the RAN in Miami, 1938. But the world is a large place; and eight or ten vessels cannot be everywhere, and the safety of our commerce imperatively demands that the swift cruisers which we have ready at the outbreak of a war shall be enough to clear the seas of privateers. Back in the Mediterranean, Neptune spotted first the Italian fleet at the battle of Calabria (9 July 1940) and was hit during the exchange by the Giuseppe Garibaldi. After missions back and forth from Singapore to Australia, she arrived at Tanjong Priok on 24 February 1942 in the midst of a Japanese air attack. HMS Orion in Crete, 1941 – Author’s HD Illustration. As, however the machinery worked without any hitch of any kind, and was developing power largely in excess of the Admiralty contract, it was agreed by the officers superintending the trial to accept the means of the five hours as a sufficient test of performance. She was back in action in March 1942, refitted in Plymouth (AA and radar), patrolling in home waters escorting convoys to Africa and the Indian Ocean. At this time she was repairing and refitting at Boston in the USA. However it was doubted that this was the main reason for delays. These ships were followed by the four ships of the Mersey type…"[11], The Leanders were primarily designed for trade protection. Rare color photo of HMAS Perth, date unknown. The 1886 edition of The Naval Annual described them as follows: "With regard to their steaming capabilities, it may be noted that these cruisers with an authorized complement of coal of 725 tons have room in their bunkers for 1000 tons. Until November 1941 she multiplied escort missions of ANZAC troops to Africa. "Note: The figures in italics represent dockyard incidental charges apportioned to each ship. She was present at V-day in Tokyo bay. The class comprised HMS Leander, HMS Phaëton, HMS Amphion and HMS Arethusa. More about the Light cruiser Leander-class cruiser. They fired a 35 pounds (15.88 kg) HE shell or 38.25 pounds (17.35 kg) S.A.P. The first of these new Leander class cruisers, Leander, was laid down even before the treaty was signed, and three more (Neptune, … Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy Lenton, H.T. At this time she was repairing and refitting at Boston in the USA. Leander Class Cruiser (1931) From The Dreadnought Project. Thanks to this, standard top speed was 32.5 knots (60 km/h). Leander-class Cruiser Warship of the Indian Navy visits Italy [INS Delhi] INS Delhi was a Leander-class light Cruiser warship that served with the Indian Navy [IN] from 1948 till 1978. Their initial AA artillery was a reflection of the aviation of the time and comprised twelve 0.5-inch (13 mm) Vickers machine guns in three quadruple mounts. The nickname “ stormy petrel ” replaced by four modern 102 mm Mark XVI in twin,! 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