HMS Achilles
Survived
Royal Navy, then Royal New Zealand Navy
| Type | Light cruiser |
|---|---|
| Class | Leander |
| War | Second World War |
| Main guns | 8 × BL 6 in Mk.XXIII (152 mm L/50) guns, twin turrets Mk.XXI |
Service
| to 1941 | Achilles | |
| from 1941 | Achilles The Royal New Zealand Navy formed |
Leander-class cruiser of the Royal Navy's New Zealand Division. With Ajax and Exeter she fought Graf Spee off the River Plate in December 1939. She joined the new Royal New Zealand Navy in 1941, was bombed off Guadalcanal and served with the British Pacific Fleet, and was sold to India in 1948.
Armament and specifications
Armament
- 8 × BL 6 in Mk.XXIII (152 mm L/50) guns, twin turrets Mk.XXI
- 4 × QF 4 in Mk.V (102 mm L/45) guns, single mounts HA Mk.IV
- 12 × QF 0.5 in Mk.III Vickers (12.7 mm) machine guns, quad mounts Mk.I
- 8 (2×4) tubes for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo Mk.IX
Armour
- 3 in magazine box
- 1 inch deck
- 1 inch turrets
| Builder | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 11 June 1931 |
| Launched | 1 September 1932 |
| Commissioned | 10 October 1933 |
| Displacement | 7,270 tons standard 9,740 tons full load (Oct 1945) |
| Length | 555.5 ft (169.3 m) |
| Speed | 32.5 knots (60 km/h) |
| Complement | peacetime 550 wartime 680 |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
1 September 1932
Battle of the River Plate
Damaged
13–17 December 1939
Splinter hits; 4 killed
Fate
Survived
Returned to Royal Navy 17 September 1946