Leander

12.2

Leander

Cruiser | U.K. | Tier VI

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price33000 exp

Purchase price3,040,000

Hit Points24,500

Main Battery

152 mm/50 BL Mk.XXIII on a Mk.XXI mount4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire7.06 shots/min.

Reload Time8.5 sec.

Rotation Speed7 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time25.71 sec.

Firing Range11.97 km.

Maximum Dispersion123 m.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell0 %

AP Shell152 mm AP 6crh Mk IV

Maximum AP Shell Damage3,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity841 m./s.

AP Shell Weight50.8 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/45 QF Mk.XVI on a Mk.XIX mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range4.96 km.

Rate of Fire20 shots/min.

Reload Time3 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500

Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell6 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm QR Mk IV2 х 4 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.59 shots/min.

Reload Time101 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo533 mm Mk VII

Maximum Damage15,733

Torpedo Speed59 knot

Torpedo Range7.02 km.

AA Defense

102 mm/45 QF Mk.XVI on a Mk.XIX mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second37.6

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk.I on a Mk.IIA mount5 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second18

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

12.7 mm Mk.III2 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second4.2

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.VIII on a Mk.VI mount2 х 8 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second39.6

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius710 m.

Rudder Shift Time11 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range9.96 km.

Air Detectability Range6.44 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

12.2

Leander

Cruiser | U.K. | Tier VI

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price33000 exp

Purchase price3,040,000

Hit Points28,700

Main Battery

152 mm/50 BL Mk.XXIII on a Mk.XXI mount4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire7.06 shots/min.

Reload Time8.5 sec.

Rotation Speed7 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time25.71 sec.

Firing Range13.17 km.

Maximum Dispersion123 m.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell0 %

AP Shell152 mm AP 6crh Mk IV

Maximum AP Shell Damage3,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity841 m./s.

AP Shell Weight50.8 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/45 QF Mk.XVI on a Mk.XIX mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range4.96 km.

Rate of Fire20 shots/min.

Reload Time3 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500

Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell6 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm QR Mk IV2 х 4 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.59 shots/min.

Reload Time101 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo533 mm Mk IX

Maximum Damage15,433

Torpedo Speed61 knot

Torpedo Range8.01 km.

AA Defense

102 mm/45 QF Mk.XVI on a Mk.XIX mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second37.6

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk.I on a Mk.IIA mount5 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second18

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II on a Mk.V mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second24.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

40 mm/56 OQF Mk.1/2 on an RP Mk.II mount2 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second31.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius710 m.

Rudder Shift Time7.8 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range9.96 km.

Air Detectability Range6.44 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VI

3,040,000

Leander — British Tier VI cruiser.

A new generation light cruiser designed to serve as a scout both within a squadron and independently. In contrast to her predecessors, the ship's main advantage was that her main guns were placed in gun turrets. The ship also had stronger AA defenses and better armor protection.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
152 mm/50 BL Mk.XXIII on a Mk.XXI mount	7.1	25.7	123			3,100		0	200,000

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Leander (A)	24,500	6	100	4	4	2/5/2/4	2			0	370,000
Leander (B)	28,700	6	100	4	4	5/4	2			12,000	780,000

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
533 mm Mk VII	0.6	101	7.2	15,733	59	7		0	400,000
533 mm Mk IX	0.6	101	7.2	15,433	61	8		4,000	500,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk VI mod. 1		0		0	200,000
Mk VI mod. 2		0		6,000	520,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 72,000 hp	32.5		0	200,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning. The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
For a graphic summary of ships Tiers VIII thru XI see LittleWhiteMouse's "Actual AA DPS".

Tier VI brings a new shift in British light cruiser game play, as Leander takes the lessons learned from Caledon through Emerald and applies them to a more well-equipped vessel. Leander is fairly stalwart cruiser for her tier, capable of mercilessly smashing enemy destroyers, holding her ground against her cruiser contemporaries, and providing fire support as needed.

Captains familiar with Tier VI American cruiser Dallas will feel at home in Leander. She exemplifies a ship that friendly destroyers love to ride shotgun with and enemy destroyers try their hardest to avoid (or destroy). Leander can take a fair bit of punishment from lighter enemy units due to her access to the Repair Party  consumable, and while she lacks Aoba’s big guns and envies the range of Budyonny and Nürnberg, she's a fairly solid cruiser for her tier. Her upgraded torpedoes go a long way towards closing the gap between her and her contemporaries when they are used well. Her torpedo firing arcs are excellent.

Unfortunately, Leander needs to get almost suicidally close — her stock range is a paltry 12.0 km — in order to get her main battery into action, greatly increasing the risk involved when she engages enemy destroyers who have support nearby. While she can mount a Spotting Aircraft  to temporarily increase her range, doing so requires her to give up Smoke Generator  and a chunk of her longevity with it.

Leander is a ship that functions best with friends close by, especially given her vulnerability to battleships. She has very little she can threaten them with as long as they angle well against her armor-piercing rounds and avoid her torpedoes.

Pros:

• Lowest detection radius of all non-premium Tier VI cruisers
• 3rd fastest gun reload of all tier VI cruisers at 8.0 seconds.
• Powerful torpedos with decent range, speed, and damage.
• Very deadly against destroyers and cruisers who end up at close range due to the high gun accuracy.
• Has access to Smoke Generator  that allows her to keep shooting at a target while being undetected.
• Has access to the Repair Party  to help mitigate damage taken from enemy shells.
• Better secondary battery than other same-tier cruisers.
• Decent rudder shift time to dodge shells, especially with the thin armor.

Cons:

• Shortest main battery range of all Tier VI cruisers.
• Extremely thin armor everywhere, cannot tank damage with armor from any angle.
• Lack of high explosive shells makes damaging enemy capital ships very challenging.
• Anti-aircraft suite is on par with Aoba and Budyonny, but cannot be made more potent with Defensive AA Fire .
• Damage from armor piercing salvos is consistent, but not spectacular. Leander has a very low alpha-strike damage potential.
• Heavily relies on Smoke Generator  and distracted enemy ships to farm damage.

Research

Availability of researchable upgrades for Leander is as follows:

• Hull: Upgrade to Hull (B) for additional health, a small increase in AA, and improved rudder shift time. Research of this module unlocks progression to Fiji.
• Torpedoes: The 533 mm Mk IX torpedoes reload faster, travel farther, move faster, have a higher flood chance, and hit nearly as hard as the stock 533 mm Mk VII torpedoes.
• Gun Fire Control System: Upgrade to Mk VI mod. 2 for an extra 10% range on the main battery.

Given the paltry stock range of her main battery, the Fire Control System upgrade should be the first place experience gains are invested. After that, grab Hull (B) and the Torpedo upgrade (in that order).

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Leander are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1  *
• Slot 2: Engine Room Protection
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1  *
• Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1

Slot 1 allows players to mount one of two viable options. Main Armaments Modification 1 is a generally viable choice, but players wishing to specialize for anti-aircraft duties should mount Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 .

Slot 3 offers choices for specialization in different roles. Aiming Systems Modification 1 should be equipped for ship to ship combat. AA Guns Modification 1 is a good choice to provide additional defense against aircraft.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed. ★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed. ★	Consumables Specialist -10% cooldown time of Main Battery Reload Booster, Torpedo Reload Booster, Spotting Aircraft, Catapult Fighter, and Defensive AA Fire.	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning of a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5km. ★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance fired at submarines.	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time. ★	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search, Surveillance Radar, Smoke Generator, & Engine Boost. ★★	Eye in the Sky Spotting Aircraft: • +2 charges • -50% cooldown time • -50% action time.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★	Focus Fire Training In the priority AA sector:   +25% continuous damage.   +1 flak burst per salvo –10% reload time of Air strike armament. ★
3	Heavy HE and SAP Shells +10% HE and SAP shell damage. +15% ship detectability guns 149mm and up.	Enhanced Torpedo Explosive Charge +15% torpedo damage. ★	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★★	Heavy AP Shells +5% damage for AP shells 190mm and larger.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables. ★★★	Survivability Expert +450 HP per ship tier. ★
4	Top Grade Gunner -10% reload time of secondary batteries If enemy ship is spotted within detectability range, -8% reload time of main battery. ★★	Outnumbered If there are fewer allies than visible enemies within the ship's base main caliber firing range: +8% ship speed -10% main battery dispersion. ★★	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.. ★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	AA Defense and ASW Expert +20% continuous AA damage. +20% flak damage. +15% damage from depth charges. ★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Leander can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Repair Party  – 3 charges
• Slot 3: Hydroacoustic Search  – 3 charges
• Slot 4: Smoke Generator  – 3 charges or Spotting Aircraft  – 4 charges or Catapult Fighter  – 3 charges

Leander is comparatively lightly armored for a Tier VI cruiser — especially compared to her contemporaries Budyonny and Dallas — and will need to make good use use of the Repair Party  and Smoke Generator  consumables. Catapult Fighter  is not recommended due to the little protection it provides and Spotting Aircraft  would provide only a small bonus to her already meager range.

Signals

Again, due to Leander’s weak armor scheme, captains are encouraged to mount the following signals for better survivability: India Delta () and November Foxtrot ().

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation. ★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration.	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding.	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts.	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +15% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

• 

  Leander prepares to enter battle.

• 

  Leander fires upon the enemy in the safety of smoke.

• 

  An enemy Yorck is penetrated by a Leander armor piercing shell while engaging in evasive maneuvers.

• 

  An enemy Bismarck class battleship shrugs off the Leander's salvo.

• 

  The returning salvo by the Tirpitz easily penetrates Leander armor.

• 

  Leander takes a battleship salvo to the bow.

• 

  Leander closes in with an enemy Bayern class battleship, desperately firing torpedoes and secondaries.

Historical Info

HMS Leander, 1933

Construction

Builder: Devonport Dockyard; Plymouth,
   England, United Kingdom

Laid down: 8 September 1930

Launched: 24 September 1931

Commissioned: 24 March 1933

---

Specifications

7,270 tons displacement, standard

9,280 tons displacement, full load

169m length

16.76m beam

5.79m draft

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Machinery

Six (6) Admiralty three-drum boilers

Four (4) Parsons steam turbines

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Performance

32.5 knots at 72,000 shaft horsepower

5,730nm at 13 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 76.2mm (+25mm backing plate)

Magazine Box: 88.9- 25.4mm

Decks: 25.4mm, 31.75mm over machinery space

Bulkheads : 38.1mm

Turrets: 25.4mm

---

Armament

Main

Eight (4x2) 152mm BL Mk.XXXIII guns

Secondary

Four (4x1) 102mm QF Mk.V guns

Anti-Aircraft

Twelve (3x4) 12.7mm MG Mk.III guns

Torpedoes

Eight (2x4) 533mm torpedo tubes

Aircraft

One E-II-H Catapult

Two Aircraft (Fairey Seal, Fairey III, Hawker Osprey)

HMS Leander in Gatun Lake, Panama Canal, July 1937.

History

Design

In January 1929, design work began on new light cruisers for the Royal Navy, the previous Emerald class being 3 years old by that time. The preliminary designs included aspects such as single mount 6-inch (152mm) guns, single mount 5.5-inch (140mm) guns, 6-inch guns in two-gun turrets, a catapult, and a single large funnel amidships. These preliminary designs displaced around 6,000 tons, however the design that was entered into the 1929 building program (called the Type "O" cruiser) displaced 6,500 tons, using many aspects that would become part of the Leander class.

The armament of the Leander class consisted of Eight new 6-inch /50 caliber Mk. XXIII guns, mounted in four two-gun turrets, in 'A', 'B', 'X' and 'Y' positions. An experimental twin turret was installed upon the Emerald-class cruiser Enterprise, which proved to be very successful, and influenced the design of the Mk.XXI turret used on Leander. The secondary armament as built consisted of four single 4-inch (102mm) QF Mk.V guns, capable of dual purpose work. However, like most Royal Navy cruisers of this generation, these were subsequently replaced before the second world war by the more effective Mk.XIX twin mounting using the 4-inch QF Mk.XVI guns. However, Achilles never received the new mounts until 1943. Though some preliminary designs had used two triple torpedo tubes per side, the Leanders used two quadruple torpedo tubes per side instead. An aircraft catapult was also mounted amidships behind the single funnel.

The original anti-aircraft armament was the 4-inch secondary guns, and 3 quadruple mount 12.7mm (0.5-inch) Vickers Machine gun mounts, however during World War 2, the anti-aircraft suite was upgraded substantially, with the addition of quadruple 40mm 'pompom' mounts and single 20mm 'Oerlikon' mounts. Later on, quadruple 40mm 'Bofors' were fitted to Ajax and Leander, and twin 20mm 'Oerlikon' mounts were used. The aircraft catapult was also removed when allowed to make space for extra guns. On Leander and Achilles, the 'X' turret was removed late in the war for more guns.

The armor of the ships was a 3-inch 76mm belt protecting the machinery, with the magazines being protected a box with a maximum thickness of 3.5-inches (89mm). The turrets used 25mm armor all over, as did the deck, except for above the machinery, where it was 31mm. The ships appearance took a lot from the contemporary heavy cruisers, such as the York-class and cancelled Surrey sub-class of the County-class.

Maximum speed was rated for 32.5 knots, using six Admiralty three-drum boilers, at a shaft horsepower of 72,000. The machinery was successful and sound, with Achilles recording up to 82,000 shaft horsepower during the Battle of the River Plate. However, since the boilers were all grouped into a single funnel, the ships machinery could potentially be disabled by damage amidships.

Although original plans called for up to sixteen of these cruisers, this was reduced to eight, of which only five were built of the Leander sub-class. A further three were constructed of the Amphion sub-class, in which the machinery was spaced out more, allowing for two funnels instead of one. All eight ships were laid down and completed between 1930 and 1936.

Service

HMS Leander (75) was commissioned in 1933 and served with the Home Fleet. In 1937, she replaced the Danae class cruiser, Dunedin in the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy. Serving as a shipping escort in the Indian Ocean after the beginning of World War II, HMNZS Leander sank the Italian raider Ramb I off India in 1941 as well as two blockade runners. Leander was assigned to assist in operations in the Persian Gulf during the Iraqi rebellion but took no action. Joining the fleet in the Mediterranean in mid-1941, Leander was engaged in patrols off Syria and fought a small action with the Vichy French destroyers Guépard and Valmy in June of that year.

Leander returned to New Zealand in late 1941, then joined the ANZAC command in 1942 for operations in the Solomon Islands. Leander participated in the Guadalcanal Campaign as a convoy escort until 1943, when she joined USN CruDiv (Cruiser Division) 9. In July 1943, Leander was part of the task force which participated in the Battle of Kolombangara, where she was torpedoed and sustained heavy damage. Made fully seaworthy in late 1943, Leander sailed for Boston for full repairs, where she remained until complete just weeks after the Japanese surrender negotiations. Leander returned to the UK, and was returned to the Royal Navy, where she was involved in the Corfu Channel incident. She was paid off and sold for scrapping in 1949.

HMS Orion (85), commissioned in 1934, also served with the Home Fleet until 1937, when she was transferred to the Americas. After the beginning of World War II, she conducted patrol and convoy duties until 1940, when she was reassigned to the Mediterranean. Orion participated in engagements with the Italian fleet, shore bombardment of Italian positions, and convoy escort duties from 1940 to 1941, where she was active in the Battle of Calabria, the Battle of the Strait of Otranto, and the Battle of Cape Matapan. Orion also participated in convoy duties to Greece and Crete both assisting in the transport of army troops to the region, their subsequent evacuation, and engaging Axis forces in the area. Damaged by air attack during the Battle of Crete, Orion was withdrawn to South Africa, then on to California, and finally back to the UK for repairs until early 1942.

Rejoining the fleet in the Mediterranean in mid-1943, Orion helped to cover the invasions of Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio before returning to the UK in preparation for joining the Normandy invasion force in early 1944. Orion provided naval gunfire support in Normandy, and was then returned to the Mediterranean to assist in the invasion of southern France. Returning once again to the Aegean Sea, Orion supported Allied operations there before once again assisting land operations in the Mediterranean, this time off the northwest Italian coast. After the war, Orion was involved in the Corfu Channel incident, and assigned as a target ship before being paid off and sold for scrapping in 1949. She earned 13 battle honours during her service, joint second most for an individual ship in the Royal Navy, behind only the battleship Warspite.

HMS Neptune (20), like Leander, Orion, and Achilles, also served with the Home Fleet until 1937, when she joined the Africa Squadron and participated in operations in the South Atlantic at the beginning of World War II, Neptune took two German merchants in 1939, and participated in the pursuit of Admiral Graf Spee. Like Orion, Neptune was assigned in 1940 to the Mediterranean, engaging in shore bombardment missions as well as a sortie into Greek waters after the Italian declaration of war on that nation. She took part in the Battle of Calabria, being hit once, but striking the Italian heavy cruiser Bolzano three times in return.

Neptune was then reassigned to the Atlantic to counter the increased presence of German raiders, joining in the search for Admiral Scheer and the Bismarck group, and sinking one of Bismarck’s supply vessels. Returned again to the Mediterranean in 1941, Neptune operated out of Malta searching for Italian merchants on the supply routes to North Africa, as part of Force K. In mid-December 1941, Neptune was leading Force K and struck two mines damaging her. Although attempts were made to rescue her, the commander of Neptune ordered other ships to keep away, mindful that 2 other cruisers and a destroyer which was later scuttled were damaged by the mines. Striking a third mine destroyed her propellers, and a fourth mine finally sunk her. Of her crew of over 700, only one survived to be rescued by an Italian torpedo boat.

HMS Ajax (22) was sent to the Americas upon completion in 1935, and remained there through the beginning of World War II. Patrolling off the South American coast, Ajax managed to take three German merchants before joining Force G in the search for the German raider Admiral Graf Spee which was finally run down off Argentina. In the resulting Battle of the River Plate, Ajax was moderately damaged, with 'X' and 'Y' turrets out of action, but came out the victor when Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled 4 days later on the 17th December 1939. Ajax returned to the UK for repairs, joining the fleet in the Mediterranean in mid-1940. There she escorted convoys, and was a major part of the Battle of Cape Passero, a close range night battle where she sunk the Spica class torpedo boats Ariel and Airone and damaged the Soldati class destroyers Aviere and Artigliere, though she sustained superstructure damage and casualties too. Ajax also participated in the Battle of the Strait of Otranto, and the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941. When not savaging Axis warships or bombarding land targets, Ajax was engaged in convoy escort duties to Malta, the evacuation of Crete where she was damaged by air attack, and supporting Allied operations in Vichy Syria. She remained in the Mediterranean until mid-1942 when she was withdrawn to the UK for refit.

Returning to the Mediterranean again in January 1943, Ajax was again damaged by air attack, being hit by a single 1,000-lb bomb, and was withdrawn for repairs, this time to New York City, where she remained until late in the year. She returned once again to the Mediterranean, but only briefly, before being withdrawn in preparation for the Normandy invasion for which she provided naval gunfire support. Returning yet again to the Mediterranean in August 1944, Ajax supported Operation Dragoon and later Allied operations in Greece before the end of a remarkable war career. Ajax was placed on inactive status shortly after the end of the war, then sold for scrapping in 1949.

HMS Achilles was commissioned in 1933 and, like most of her sister ships, served in the Home Fleet for several years. In 1936, she was transferred to the New Zealand Division, replacing the Danae-class Diomede. After the beginning of World War II in 1939, Achilles began operations in the South Atlantic and was attached to Force G. Participating in the Battle of the River Plate alongside her sister Ajax, Achilles sustained relatively minor damage in the first major Royal Navy victory of the war. Returning to New Zealand for convoy escort duty, Achilles formed part of the force providing cover for the influx of supplies and troops to New Zealand and Australia until 1942 when she joined the ANZAC squadron.

Achilles (70) participated in operations in the South Pacific and Solomon Islands until 1943 when she was damaged by air attack necessitating a return to the UK for repairs, as a bomb had hit her 'X' turret. Leaving the UK in mid-1944, having traded her 'X' turret in for extra anti-aircraft armament, Achilles joined the Eastern Fleet, until 1945. She then joined the British Pacific Fleet, accompanying the aircraft carriers as they conducted raids to suppress bypassed Japanese garrisons in the Central Pacific as well as the Home Islands of Japan. Achilles was returned to the Royal Navy in 1946, and in 1947, she was sold to India, becoming INS Delhi. She was finally scrapped in 1978.

Historical Inaccuracies

• In game, Leander’s main belt armor is 100mm thick, while historically it was 76.2mm (3 inches) thick, with 25mm (1 inch) of backing plate, which have been combined to give the in game value of 100mm.
• Hull (A) has a fictional anti-aircraft armament, no Leander-class ship ever carried the octuple 40mm 'pompom' mount, and although Leander did carry 2x4 12.7mm and 5x1 20mm 'Oerlikons'; the latter guns were fitted after the 12.7mm were removed from the ship.
• The anti-aircraft armament for Hull (B) is accurate for sister ship HMS Ajax between late 1943 and 1944, however, the aircraft catapult was removed in 1942, and therefore shouldn't be present.
• 38mm bulkhead armor isn't observable, and may not be present.
• The permanent premium camouflage is actually the historical camouflage of HMS Ajax. It was painted in October 1943 and remained in place until 1944. The colours on this camouflage pattern in game however, appear to be inaccurate.
• Although Leander uses the same 152mm Mk.XXVIII guns as Belfast, Fiji, Edinburgh and Perth, Leander — like other tech tree Royal Navy light cruisers in game — only gets access to armor-piercing (AP) shells. Historically, ships using the Mk.XXVIII gun were outfitted with both AP/CPBC (Common Pointed Ballistic Cap) and HE shells.

Historical Gallery

• 

  HMS Leander in Melbourne for Australia's Sesquicentenary, February 1938.

• 

  HMNZS Leander underway.

• 

  Catapult-launched Supermarine Walrus from HMNZS Leander, circa 1938, used as a fleet spotter.

• 

  Leander passing through the Panama Canal.

• 

  Leander in Gatun Lake, Panama Canal, July 1937.

• 

  HMNZS Leander and USS Chicago at Fiji, 1942.

• 

  Crest of HMNZS Leander.

• 
• 

References

• HMNZS Leander - Wikipedia
• Leander-class cruiser (1931) - Wikipedia
• 1:42 Scale: HMS Ajax - World of Warships - YouTube

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available to supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.5.11.
• Introduced into the game as a researchable ship in Update 0.5.13.
• Update 0.5.16:
  • Fixed a bug with different operating times for the base and premium versions of the Spotting Aircraft consumable.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 4.6 km.
• Update 0.6.13:
  • Fire extinguishing time now 30 s instead of 60 s.
  • The Smoke Generator active time was increased from 7 to 15 s.
  • Improved display of thin elements.
• Update 0.6.15:
  • A bonus was added to the permanent camouflages "Type 16", "Type 12": a 10% discount to the cost of post-battle service.
• Update 0.7.5:
  • Models and textures were slightly improved.
• Update 0.7.7:
  • The range of the MK VII torpedo was increased from 6 to 7 km.
• Update 0.7.10:
  • The range of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable was unified - 4 km for detecting ships, 3 km for detecting torpedoes.
• Update 0.8.5:
  • Credit earnings decreased by -5%.
• Update 0.9.2:
  • Updated hull geometry.
• Update 0.9.6:
  • The value of the in-game turning circle radius was changed to 710 m to correct prior discrepancy.
• Update 0.10.4:
  • The time for the dissipation of smoke for the Smoke Generator consumable was reduced from 99 to 96 s.
  • Main battery reload time increased from 7.5 to 7.7 s.
• Update 0.10.6:
  • Main battery reload time increased from 7.7 to 8 s.
• Update 0.10.8:
  • Fixed issues with the ship model and textures.
• Update 0.10.10:
  • Alternate color scheme for the Ajax 1940 camouflage is available again.
  • Minor change to the secondary battery firing range (unlisted change).
• Update 0.11.1:
  • The colors of icons for the color schemes of the permanent camouflage were fixed.
• Update 0.11.7:
  • Minor fixes to the model and textures of the ship.
• Updated 0.11.8
  • Main battery reload time increased from 8 to 8.5 s.
  • Researchable torpedo tube reload time increased from 96 to 101 s.
  • Standard torpedo tube reload time reduced from 106 to 101 s.

Ships of U.K.

Cruisers