Arethusa-Class Heavy Cruiser
The Arethusa-class of heavy cruisers is a trio of warships and was originally intended by the then Commonwealth of Freesia's answer to Japan's growing imperial expansion and ambition in the far east. And as well as Italy's naval expansion in the Mediterranean. As well as Germany's Deutschland-class. This vessel was to be put into service by the then Royal Freesian Navy and as part of Britain's Commonwealth Navy, with the class of three ships to be built out of the commonwealth's own money and shipyards as this was popular with nationalist politicians and a portion of the population, citing that using nothing but hand me down British warships for the RFN is not good enough.
The class itself was first planned by the Department of Ships and Naval Construction in the Commonwealth's wing of the Ministry for War in 1931 and proceeded at a steady pace in the years between. However as war clouds loomed over Europe by the mid 1930's, construction for the lead ship was prioritized with Arethusa being laid down in 1936, and her sister Gannett being laid down in 1937 and with most military planners anticipating war by 1941. However by 1939 it all came crashing down as the Germans invaded Poland, and as then the commonwealth in support of Britain's stance has unilaterally entered the conflict on the side of the allied powers.
Construction for Arethusa herself was ordered to be halted as the navy has prioritized construction of smaller warships such as licensed variations of the J-K-N class destroyers, Flower class corvettes, and Sloops to counter the U-Boats in the Atlantic. However by 1942, as the situation in the far east deteriorates and the war in the Atlantic seemingly worsening, even if the Americans have joined the conflict on the side of the allies, construction for Arethusa was resumed at a slow pace as the Navy has still remained its priority to construct small escort warships and merchant vessels for the commonwealth's merchant navy.
However by 1944, Arethusa's construction would finally end after 8 years of slow work, it was originally intended for her to be equipped with an all British set up, however due to wartime restrictions and the priority of British vessels in British shipyards. Components for Arethusa was lacking, however it was pitched by Rear Admiral Andrews that the Arethusa class use American components, such as secondary guns, anti-aircraft guns, and secondary fire control systems.
As such after launch and a small christening ceremony in May 10, 1944. Arethusa's incomplete hull. With only her main guns and machinery and a few 40mm anti aircraft guns installed would make way to New York, in the United States at best speed. Along with her two escorting destroyers, by mid 1944. Work was now finished and Arethusa would make her way back to the Freesian mainland.
However at this time, the Battle of the Atlantic was slowly but surely being won by the allies. Thus it was decided after orders from the British admiralty that she was to be sent to the Mediterranean fleet, and would later on be attached to the navy force to support the American landings in Southern France in Operation Dragoon.
By early 1945, with the European front of naval conflicts being confined to the Atlantic in anti-submarine warfare. And the Regia Marina at this point mostly neutralized in one way or another, Arethusa was transferred to the British Pacific Fleet to fight the Japanese. However at this point the Imperial Japanese Navy was pretty much a shattered shell of its former self, with most of its resources concentrated in fighting the Americans in the east. As such, Arethusa has spent most of her time in the BPF in screening duties or to act as a sea going artillery platform, supporting commonwealth troops in landings. However a considerable Japanese surface presence in the shape of the heavy cruiser Haguro in Singapore has opted local commanders to retain Arethusa's presence near the area.
As the war in the Pacific came to a close, Arethusa was sent back to the Freesian mainland for a much needed refit and overhaul, her bouncy service has definitely worn her machinery to some degree, plus with the war over. The need for Arethusa's presence in the far east was not needed. It is to be noted that by this time, her sister Gannett has just finished construction, following in her the older sister's fashion, Gannett herself is also using a lot of American components, while the third sister. Named Dryad was already laid down and construction starting.
Arethusa and Gannett would continue on serving in the immediate post war years, supporting British intervention in the Greek civil war in 1949. However after the country's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in the same year, the two vessels were withdrawn from the area. However later on in 1950, the young nation keen to prove itself in the world stage would send the two ships to contribute as much to the allied naval force in the Korean war as part of the UN response to North Korea's invasion of South Korea, with the two vessels being used to screen American capital warships or bombarding North Korean coastal positions, where one case Gannett dueled a North Korean coastal artillery battery for an hour. Though the ship has received superficial damage from near misses, this forced Gannett to retire from her station and is replaced by Arethusa.
Much of the cold war the two vessels were active, but that was until 1961 when Arethusa and Gannett were put into reserve as the current ruling administration has ruled that the two vessels are becoming quite the headache to maintain, this is in respect that the Navy was also trying to modernize its fleet, while also operating two aircraft carriers. And the country's secret strategic weapons program which was already costing the government far too much money.
What of the unfinished last sister, Dryad? She was finished in 1959, however it was decided that Dryad is not to be fully completed as a gun cruiser, with the Navy opting for her to be able to meet the navy's plan for new threats, jet aircraft and missile weaponry. As such Dryad was slated to be converted to a single end missile conversion, taking after the American rebuilds of the Boston-class and the Galveston-class. With Dryad being equipped with originally two aft mounted missile launchers for RIM-8 Talos, however due to the cost of acquiring Talos, it was decided that she is to be instead equipped with a single RIM-2 Terrier launcher facing aft. After the conversion, Dryad was commissioned into the Freesian Navy in 1962. Just in time for the Cuban missile crisis.
Dryad would be more active with the fleet along with the missile conversions of the trio R-class light cruisers. Resolution and Revenge. With Redoubt being converted to an Anti-Submarine Warfare cruiser. During the 1980's the country would bring back Gannett and Arethusa back into active service due to evolving threats, and to keep up with the country's expanding navy under the NDP after the previous left-leaning government was defeated in the 1979 National Elections, with the NDP being fervent conservatives and anti-communist, one of their platforms is to expand the Navy, and open new job slots on the country's existing shipbuilding industry to expand it with a slew of modernizations, and new construction projects.
However what would set Arethusa and Gannett apart is that both ships would not receive much in the way of modernization like Dryad or the two R-class cruisers. Instead the two vessels would receive new electronics, electronic countermeasure, and a bit of new weaponry like the Phalanx Close In Weapons System, and the Mk. 141 Harpoon Anti-Shipping Missile launchers.
At the height of the tanker war between Iraq and Iran, the three vessels of this class was attached to the international fleet in the middle east to assert the country's right to trade with its middle eastern partners as at the time, the Iranians were trying to assert control on the strait of Hormuz. Where all three vessels would spend their time escorting merchants across the gauntlet of contested waters. By 1991 and during the Persia Gulf War, Gannett would conduct shore bombardment alongside the U.S battleship Missouri of Iraqi targets in Kuwait. Meanwhile Arethusa and Dryad are held back in escort duty.
All three ships would continue to serve the Freesian Navy until 1992 when all three were finally stood down, decommissioned, and finally the older two struck from the Navy's Vessel Register. Dryad was kept in an inactive state as to act as a training vessel, and wouldn't be fully decommissioned until 2008, what of Arethusa and Gannett? Arethusa was sent to the breakers in 1997 and is subsequently scrapped, however the good thing is that Gannett was saved by a Non-for profit organization and is turned into a floating museum in Southwestern Arlesfield at the waterfront of the city of Avondelle.
Ship Specifications:
Displacement:
› 15,935 t at light load; 17,341 t at standard load; 20,000 t at normal load; and 22,127 t at full load
Dimensions:
› Length (Overall): 677 feet
› Beam: 82 feet
› Draught: 20 feet and 6 inches
Endurance and Speed:
› Top Speed: 30 Knots
› 4 x Oil fired boilers powering 4 geared steam turbines; driving 4 shafts generating 87,948 ship horsepower
› Range: 15,000 Nautical Miles at 15 knots
Armor:
› Belt: 234mm at its thickest point, ends at 127mm
› Torpedo Bulkheads: 127mm at its thickest for the main torpedo bulkhead
› Guns: Face; 234mm: Gun house; 104mm; Barbette: 165mm
› Armored deck (Single deck): Fore and Aft decks: 102mm; Forecastle deck: 76mm
› Conning tower: 165mm
Complement: 840-1,093 Navy Personnel
Cost: $40.567 Million
Armaments: (Bow to Stern)
› 1980 Refit:
- 9 x BL 9.2-Inch (234mm)/50 caliber Mk. XII main guns
- 12 x 5-Inch (127mm)/38 caliber Mk. 32 mod 0 Secondary guns
- 2 x 20mm Phalanx Close In Weapon Systems Block 0
- 16 x Mk. 141 Harpoon Anti-Ship Missile launchers
Electronics and processing systems: (Bow to Stern)
› 1980 Refit:
- Forward Main battery range finder, British cruiser gun director
- Forward Secondary battery range finder, U.S Mk. 37 Director
- WSC-3 SatCom
- AN/SPS-10 C-Band Surface Search radar
- AN/SPS-55 I-Band Surface Search radar
- Aft Secondary battery range finder, U.S Mk. 37 Director
- AN/SPS-48 3D Air Search Radar
- Aft Main battery range finder, British cruiser gun director
Electronic Warfare suite: (Bow to Stern)
- AN/SLQ-32 (V) 2
- 4 x Mk. 36 SRBOC
Miscellaneous:
- After helicopter flight deck to receive SH-60 during at sea replenishment.
Ships In Class:
FS Arethusa (CA-4)
FS Gannett (CA-5)
FS Dryad (CAG-6)
PS: This is my first time participating in a challenge