Leander

0.6.9.1.1

Leander

Cruiser | U.K. | Tier VI

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price33000 exp

Purchase price3 200 000

Hit Points24 500

Aircraft

Main Battery

152 mm/50 Mk XXI4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 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 Damage3100

Initial AP Shell Velocity841 m./s.

AP Shell Weight50.8 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km.

Rate of Fire20 shots/min.

Reload Time3 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb

Maximum HE Shell Damage1500

Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shel6 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm QR Mk IV2 х 4 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.57 shots/min.

Reload Time106 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo533 mm Mk VII

Maximum Damage15 733

Torpedo Speed59 knot

Torpedo Range6 km.

AA Defense

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second37.6

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

40 mm Vickers 2-pdr. Mk VIII2 х 8 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second39.6

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

12.7 mm Mk III2 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second4.2

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk IV5 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second18

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius640 m.

Rudder Shift Time11 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range10.26 km.

Air Detectability Range6.69 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

0.6.9.1.1

Leander

Cruiser | U.K. | Tier VI

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price33000 exp

Purchase price3 200 000

Hit Points28 700

Aircraft

Main Battery

152 mm/50 Mk XXI4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 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 Damage3100

Initial AP Shell Velocity841 m./s.

AP Shell Weight50.8 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km.

Rate of Fire20 shots/min.

Reload Time3 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb

Maximum HE Shell Damage1500

Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shel6 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm QR Mk IV2 х 4 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.63 shots/min.

Reload Time96 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

20 mm Oerlikon Mk IV5 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second18

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

40 mm Bofors Mk II2 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second31.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk V4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second24.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second37.6

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius640 m.

Rudder Shift Time7.8 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range10.26 km.

Air Detectability Range6.69 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VI

3 200 000

Leander — British Tier VI cruiser.

En 1928, se inició el desarrollo de un crucero de reconocimiento que debía operar en conjunto con una flota. El barco tenía la tarea de liderar destructores y proteger las comunicaciones marítimas. El HMS Leander se puso en grada en 1930 y entró en servicio en marzo de 1933 como parte de la División de Nueva Zelanda. Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el Leander interceptó barcos hostiles en los océanos Pacífico e Índico, y operó en el Mediterráneo durante la campaña de Siria y Líbano. El crucero recibió el impacto de un torpedo durante la batalla de Kolombangara en 1943 y a continuación permaneció en reparaciones hasta el final de la guerra.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180 Degree 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 en una montura Mk.XXI	6,7	25,7	123			3100		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	10	100	4	4	2/5/2/4	2			0	370 000
Leander (B)	28 700	10	100	4	4	5/4	2			12 000	780 000

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180 Degree 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		4000	500 000

	Firing Range Increase (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk VI mod. 1		0		0	200 000
Mk VI mod. 2		0		6000	520 000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsión: 72 000 CV	32,5		0	200 000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

Tier VI brings a new shift in British light cruiser gameplay, 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 Cleveland 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 (only Perth is better).
• Solid torpedo range (with the upgrade).
• Very deadly against destroyers and cruisers who end up at close range.
• Has access to Smoke Generator, Catapult Fighter or Spotting Aircraft.
• Has access to the Repair Party ability.

Cons:

• Shortest main battery range of all Tier VI cruisers.
• 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.
• Struggles to penetrate any bow on destroyer

Research

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

Main Battery Modification 1 is the recommended choice for Upgrade Slot 1. Aiming Systems Modification 1 is the top choice for Upgrade Slot 2, but AA Gun Modification 2 is far from a bad choice for captains wishing to hedge their bets against enemy carriers. Damage Control System Modification 1 is likely the best choice for Upgrade Slot 4, though some captains will opt for Propulsion Modification 1 to improve the reliability of her propulsion plant. Steering Gears Modification 2 is the best option in Upgrade Slot 5.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★★★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of modules. ★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched.	Aircraft Servicing Expert +5% to HP of carrier-based aircraft. -10% to servicing time of carrier-based aircraft.	Direction Center for Catapult Aircraft +1 catapult aircraft. -20% to the speed of catapult aircraft.	Dogfighting Expert +10% to average damage per second of fighter for each tier of difference between them. +10% to fighters ammunition.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire. ★	Evasive Maneuver -20% to detectability of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier. +75% to HP of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier. -30% to airspeed of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm. ★★	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range. ★★	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen. ★★★	Expert Rear Gunner +10% to average damage per second of self-defense armament for aircraft with rear gunners.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. ★★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★	Survivability Expert +350 HP for each ship tier. ★★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. -20% to servicing time of torpedo bombers. ★★	Emergency Takeoff Makes it possible to launch and recover aircraft while the ship is on fire. +100% to aircraft servicing time while aircraft carrier is on fire.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +20% to average damage per second of AA defense.	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★	Demolition Expert +2% to chance of fire on a target caused by a main caliber shell, secondary shell, or bomb.	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament -15% to the maximum dispersion of shells for the secondary armament of Tier I-VI ships. -60% to the maximum dispersion of shells for the secondary armament of Tier VII-X ships.	Fire Prevention -7% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three.	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -3% to chance of fire on target caused by HE shells.	Air Supremacy +1 fighter per squadron. +1 bomber per squadron.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +20% to AA defense firing range.	Manual Fire Control for AA Armament +100% to average damage per second of AA guns with a caliber exceeding 85mm against a designated target.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship (that isn't an aircraft carrier). The enemy player is alerted that a bearing has been taken on their ship. ★★	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of destroyers. -12% to the detection radius of cruisers. -14% to the detection radius of battleships. -16% to the detection radius of aircraft carriers. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Players can equip the following consumables on this cruiser: Damage Control Party, Repair Party, Hydroacoustic Search, and a choice between Smoke Generator, Spotting Aircraft, or Catapult Fighter.

Leander is very lightly armored for a Tier VI cruiser — especially compared to her contemporaries Budyonny and Cleveland — and will need to make good use use of the Repair Party and Smoke Generator consumables. Captains are recommended to invest in the premium versions of both for better survivability. Premium consumable Hydroacoustic Search will also help in hunting down destroyers and spotting torpedoes from within a smoke screen, as enemy players frequently send torpedoes into smoke banks hoping to hit stationary ships hiding within. 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.

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 2 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce the accuracy of incoming shells.

Signals

Again, due to Leander’s weak armor scheme, captains are encouraged to mount the following signals for better survivability: India Delta, India Yankee, and November Foxtrot. Additionally, Equal Speed Charlie London can be used to quickly grind to the much-needed Fire Control Systems module upgrade (Mk VI mod. 2), as her stock range is abnormally low for a Tier VI cruiser.

Gallery

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  Leander prepares to enter battle.

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  Leander fires upon the enemy in the safety of smoke.

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

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

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  The returning salvo by the Tirpitz easily penetrates Leander armor.

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  Leander takes a battleship salvo to the bow.

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

Historical Info

Construction

Devonport Dockyard; Plymouth, England, United Kingdom

Laid down: 8 September 1930

Launched: 24 September 1931

Commissioned: 24 March 1933

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Specifications

7,270 tons displacement, standard<

169m length

16.76m beam

5.79m draft

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Machinery

6 boilers, 4 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: 76.2-88.9mm

Decks: 25.4mm, 31.75mm over machinery space

Turrets: 25.4mm

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Armament

Main

Eight (4x2) 152mm guns

Secondary

Four (4x1) 102mm guns

Anti-Aircraft

Twelve (3x4) 12.7mm guns

Torpedoes

Eight (2x4) 533mm torpedo tubes

History

Design

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.

Service

Leander was commissioned in 1933 and served with the Home Fleet. In 1937, she replaced Emerald in the Royal New Zealand Navy. Serving as a shipping escort in the Indian Ocean after the beginning of World War II, Leander sank an Italian raider 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 destroyer Guepard 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, where she was paid off and sold for scrapping in 1949.

Orion, 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 until 1941, when she was active in 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, 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 assigned as a target ship before being paid off and sold for scrapping in 1949.

Neptune, 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.

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. In mid-December 1941, Neptune struck an astonishing four mines. Of her crew, only one survived.

Ajax 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 Admiral Graf Spee which was finally run down off Argentina. In the resulting Battle of the River Platte, Ajax was heavily damaged but came out the victor when Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled. Ajax returned to the UK for repairs, joining the fleet in the Mediterranean in mid-1940. There she fought and won a small engagement, sinking several torpedo boats and damaging an Italian destroyer, as well as participating in the Battle of Cape Matapan. When not savaging Axis warships, Ajax 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 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.

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 Royal New Zealand Navy as HMNZS Achilles. 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 Platte 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 forces.

Achilles 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. Leaving the UK in mid-1944, 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. In 1947, she was sold to India, becoming INS Dehli.

Historical Accuracy Errata

Leander uses the same main battery guns as Perth, yet does not have high-explosive shells.

Historical Gallery

• 

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

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  HMNZS Leander underway.

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

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  Leander passing through the Panama Canal.

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  Leander in Gatun Lake, Panama Canal, July 1937.

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  HMNZS Leander and USS Chicago at Fiji, 1942.

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  Crest of HMNZS Leander.

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• 
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  Leander used as a target ship for a Seadart missile, 3 Exocets and 1 gravity bomb.

Ships of U.K.

Cruisers