Search: Sort by:
 
 
  Search

ROYAL NAVY SOUTH ATLANTIC COMMAND - ROYAL NAVY A B 36 SHIPS

4)AJAX (LIGHT CRUISER)




Launched 1st March 1934


Commissioned 3rd June 1935


Decommissioned February 1948


Sold for scrap in 1949


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 Admiralty 3-drum oil-fired boilers 
Four shafts 72,000 shp


Speed: 32.5 knots (60 km/h)


Range: 5,730 nmi at 13 knots


Complement: Peacetime 550.   Wartime 680


Sensors and processing systems type 284/286 air search radar type 273/271 surface search type 2856 inch (152 mm) fire control type 282 40 mm fire control


Armament: Original configuration: 8 × 6 in guns 4 × 4 in guns 12 × 0.5 in machine guns 8 × 21 intorpedo tubes


In 1945: 8 × 6 in (152 mm) 8 × 4 in (102 mm) 16 × 40 mm 8 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (quadruple mounts) Armour: 4 in (102 mm) main belt 2.5 in (64 mm) ends 1.25 to 2 in(32 to 51 mm) deck1 in (25 mm) turrets



Aircraft carried: One catapult-launched aircraft. Original type was a Fairey Seafox catapult and aircraft later replaced with Supermarine Walrus. In the picture a Fairey Seafox returns from one patrol after being lauched from HMS Canton. Photo IWM 


HMS AJAX was stationed in south Atlantic from January to December 1939 visiting several ports and from the war outset in pursuit of german Merchants Olinda, Ussukuma and Karl Fritzen all them scuttled by their own crews to avoid capture. AJAX took a pivotal role in the battle of the river Plate against battleship Graf Spee.


 

FOLLOWING PAGES ON THE SAME ARTICLE

(C) Since 2007 - www.sixtant.net