1929 Pre-Leander Class Light Cruisers

Design 1 for a light cruiser in 1929.

I came across this in an old Word document I've had kicking around since 2006-07.
In January 1929 work began on new 6in armed light cruisers for the Royal Navy, what would become the Leander Class cruisers. All were 515ft (wl) x 52 ft, displaced 6,000 tons standard, with 60,000shp for 31.25 kts standard and 30kts deep with 1,600 tons of oil for an endurance of 6,000nm.
Design 1 had five single 6in mounts, Design 2 had six single 5.5in mounts, Design 3 had four twin turreted 6in, 4 had three twin 6in turrets and 5 had two single and two twin 6in mounts. All had 3in belt armour, 2in crown to magazines (except C with 2in and 1.75in) and the machinery side/crown in A and B was 3/1.5in, C 1/1 in, D 1.75/1in and E 1.5/1in. You can see the future cruiser hull and typical interwar cruiser 'style' but with a rather WW1 style armament layout. They have a fine look about them but its probably thankful that the DNC and the Admiralty decided on twin turrets.

Designs 2 to 5 are based upon the plans for Design 1 and Design 3 which have been published (thanks to Smurf for these scans), all used the same hull dimensions.

[ img ]

Design 2 (6x1 5.5in) [Note: the fifth and sixth guns are sided mounts just ahead of the bridge in 'C' position.]

[ img ]

Design 3 (4x2 6in)

[ img ]

Design 4 (3x2 6in)

[ img ]

Design 5 (2x2 2x1 6in)

[ img ]

The Leander design as of 1929 (the Type O of the 1929 Programme). 6,500 tons, 4x2 6in, 4x1 4in, 2x3 21in TT, 2x seaplanes.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

_________________
[ img ]

Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

intresting indeed...though ugly as hell compared to the sheer beuty of the Leanders.

Great drawing; dreadful brute of a ship.

Great drawing, but they would've been weird-looking ships. The masts are too short and that funnel stands out like a sore thumb.

_________________
[ img ]

MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

What a peculiar design. I must say though, there is certainly some scope for some what-iffery with it.

_________________
AU Projects: | Federal Monarchy of Tír Glas| Other Ivernic Nations | Artemis Group |
Blood and Fire

interesting that the design with the twin turrets ended up quite a bit larger then this proposal, while the twin turrets should have saved length. that said, of course the real design is 8 main guns vs 5 on this design.
that said, hood, any chance on an 'guestimate' of the other designs, if you have any sizes for those apart from the arnament arrangements?

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Stacked main guns, trunked funnels, midship catapult.
That's a perfect example about how mixing British and Japanese elements won't work xD

Great drawing Hood

erik_t wrote:

Great drawing; dreadful brute of a ship.

That about sums it up.

Excellent drawing of a really ugly ship.

Shipbucket

1929 Pre-Leander Class Light Cruisers

Who is online