HMNZS Leander

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Leander
Builder	HMNB Devonport
Laid down	1 August 1928
Launched	13 July 1929
Commissioned	23 July 1931
Recommissioned	27 August 1945
Decommissioned	February 1948
Out of service	loaned to Royal New Zealand Navy 30 April 1937
Fate	Sold for scrapping 15 December 1949 Scrapped 15 January 1950
History
New Zealand
Name	HMNZS Leander
Commissioned	30 April 1937
Out of service	Repair and refit at Boston 8 May 1944
Fate	Returned to Royal Navy 27 August 1945
General characteristics
Class and type	Leander-class light cruiser
Displacement	7,270 tons standard 9,740 tons full load
Length	554.9 ft (169.1 m)
Beam	56 ft (17 m)
Draught	19.1 ft (5.8 m)
Propulsion	Four Parsons geared steam turbines Six boilers Four shafts 72,000 shp
Speed	32.5 knots (60 km/h)
Range	5,730 nmi at 13 knots
Complement	570 officers and enlisted
Armament	Original configuration: 8 × BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval guns 4 × 4 in guns 12 × 0.5 in machine guns 8 × 21 in torpedo tubes
Armour	3 in magazine box 1 inch deck 1 inch turrets
Aircraft carried	One catapult-launched aircraft Original type was a Fairey Seafox catpult and aircraft later replaced with Supermarine Walrus
Notes	Pennant number 75

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Leander.

HMNZS Leander was a light cruiser which served with the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the lead ship of a class of eight ships, the Leander class light cruiser and was initially named HMS Leander.

History

Leander was launched at Devonport on 13 July 1929. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Leander on 23 July 1931. Along with HMS Achilles she served in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.

In 1941 the New Zealand Division became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and she was commissioned as His Majesty's New Zealand Ship Leander in September 1941.

In World War II, HMNZS Leander served initially in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Commander Stephen Roskill was posted as the ship's Captain in 1941. On 27 February 1941, she sank the Italian armed merchantman Ramb I near the Maldives, rescuing 113 of her crew. On 23 March 1941, Leander intercepted and captured the Vichy French merchant Charles L.D. in the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Madagascar. On 14 April, Leander deployed for support of military operations in Persian Gulf and, on 18 April, joined the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes and the light cruiser HMS Emerald. On 22 April, Leander was released from support duties in the Persian Gulf and took part in search for German raider Pinguin south of Maldives.

In June 1941, the Leander was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet and was active against the Vichy French during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign. After serving in the Mediterranean, the Leander returned to the Pacific Ocean in 1943.

On 13 July 1943, HMNZS Leander was with Rear Admiral Walden Lee Ainsworth's Task Group 36.1 of three light cruisers: the Leander, the USS Honolulu, and the St. Louis. The task group also included ten destroyers. At 01:00 the Allied ships established radar contact with Japanese cruiser Jintsu. The Jintsu was accompanied by five destroyers near Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands. In the ensuing Battle of Kolombangara, Jintsu was sunk and all three Allied cruisers were hit by torpedoes and severely damaged. The Leander was so badly damaged that she took no further part in the war. She was repaired, first in Auckland and then proceeded to a full refit in Boston.

She then returned to the Royal Navy. In 1946 she was involved in the Corfu Channel Incident. She was scrapped in 1949.

References

• Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War Two. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Lenton, H.T. & Colledge, J.J (1968). British and Dominion Warships of World War Two. Doubleday and Company.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• HMNZS Leander at Uboat.net

See also

• Cruisers of the Royal New Zealand Navy
• List of ships of World War II
• Action of 27 February 1941