Credit to Hood's Manchester, for the ship searchlights and AA gun tubs, Portsmouth Bill's Belfast for the torpedo compartment, Dalamace for the bilge keels from their S-511-38, and KHT for the improved 254mm/45 turrets.
HBMS
Aven, Aven-class large cruiser
Displacement 15,329 tons standard; 18,597 tons full load
Length 214.1 meters oa, 210 meters wl
Beam 22 meters
Draught 7.4 meters normal / 7.85 meters deep load
Max Speed 32.2 knots
Range 10,000nmi@15kts
Power Plant 8 Admiralty Boilers, 4 Parsons Geared Turbine sets, Four Shafts, 100,000SHP
Armament
F/A(2)4 Bofors 254mm/45
2P&S/2P/2S(2)6 4.5in/45 MkI
2P/2S(2)4 M1936 40mm/60
P/S(4)2 533mm TT w/ 4 MkIX Torps
Armor 152mm Belt, 60mm armored deck above belt, 25mm Torpedo bulkhead, 254mm conning tower, 175mm main turret faces and barbettes, 95mm main turret sides
Aircraft
2 Aft Catapult, Hanger, 3 SOC Seagull
Complement 1200
Designed to serve as ersatz capital ships for the Royal Balican Navy, the two Aven class large cruisers were built to form the core of the RBN's Battle Force along with the modernized WWI era Battlecruiser
Queen Charlotte. Prior to Balica's entry into World War II,
Aven and
Redones served in neutrality patrol duties in the Eastern Atlantic and Bay of Biscay. Following Balica's entry in late 1941,
Aven and
Redones first saw action during Operation Torch. They then spent 1943 alternating off on duties in the Mediterranean and the Bay of Biscay, with
Redones notably leading a force to intercept German destroyers in the Battle of the Bay of Biscay in December '43. Early 1944 saw their aircraft catapults beached to make space for more 40mm Bofors, and then supported Operation Overlord, providing gunfire support for the landings at Normandy and the push on Cherbourg. Later in 1944
Aven supported Operation Dragoon, and in 1945
Redones sailed with the British Pacific Fleet in support of various operations against the Japanese.
Post war,
Aven and
Redones alternated off on active and reserve commissions. In 1953
Aven completed a significant refit upgrading her to act as full fleet flagship, with an enlarged bridge taking the place of the forward 4.5"/45 mount, all medium and light AA replaced by 5 twin Mk33 3"/50, and mounting a LW.02 long range air search set, and served in this role until decommissioned in 1962.
Redones then remained in reserve until 1959, when she was then taken in for major rebuild, where all armament except for the two forward 254mm/45 was removed. In place of this, a Mk7 GLMS with 46 Talos missiles was mounted aft, along with associated radars to provide long range air defence for the RBN's new light carrier
King Edward. 4 twin 3"/70 were also mounted in place of the midships secondaries for close range air defense. This refit was completed in 1962 and
Redones served in this role until 1973, when the new Williamsport-class guided missile cruisers entered service. After decommissioning in 1973,
Redones was then turned into a museum ship in Redones Harbor, where she remains to this day.
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