HMNZS Leander

HMNZS Leander

HMS Arethusa

HMS Southampton

HMNZS Leander

HMS Arethusa

HMS Southampton

Britain

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	5.3	5.3

Class:

Light cruiser

Research:61 000

Purchase:230 000

Description

The Leander-class, HMNZS Leander (75), 1942 was the lead ship of the Leander-class light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s, mainly designed for commerce protection based on experience with the York-class heavy cruisers. The HMNZS Leander was laid down on 8th September 1930, commissioned on 24th March 1933, and assigned to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. In 1941, the New Zealand Division became the Royal New Zealand Navy and Leander's prefix changed from HMS to HMNZS. Leander initially served in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, where she sunk Italian and Vichy France merchantmen. On 22nd April 1941, Leander took part in search of German commerce raider Pinguin which was later sunk by HMS Cornwall. Between June and September 1941, Leander was transferred to the Mediterranean before returning to the Pacific. On 13th July 1943, Leander, together with US Navy Brooklyn-class light cruisers USS St. Louis, USS Wichita, and a group of ten destroyers, took part in the Battle of Kolombangara. At 01:00, radar contact was made with Japanese light cruiser Jintsuu and five destroyers. In the ensuing battle, Jintsuu was sunk and all three Allied cruisers were hit by Japanese Long Lance torpedoes. Leander was struck with single torpedo in the boiler room, and the damage caused was so extensive that she spent rest of the war being repaired. After repairs in Auckland, she went to Boston for a refit, and returned to the Royal Navy on 27th August 1945. Leander took part in the Corfu Channel Incident in 1946. She was decommissioned in February 1948 and sold for scrap in 1950.

Introduced in Update 1.87 "Locked On", Leander is one of the first British light cruisers that captains will come across. Unlike the previous Arethusa-class, Leander features thicker main armour belt around the machinery, that is 76 mm thick instead of the 57 mm at Arethusa. The elevators and turrets are both protected by all-around 25 mm thick armour. The bridge features 12 mm anti-fragmentation armour, providing at least some degree of protection from HE shells. However, all the boiler rooms can be disabled with a single hit due to them not being separated. Magazines are quite deep under the waterline, making the ship quite protected from fatal explosion if hit. The Leander is also equipped with two quadruple torpedo launchers on each side of the hull, however while the torpedoes have a good speed of 74 km/h, they have only 4.57 km range, making their use very situational.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Citadel25 / 76 / 32 mm

Main fire tower25 / 25 / 25 mm

Hull25 mm (steel)

Superstructure8 mm (steel)

Number of section8

Displacement9 189 t

Crew767 people

The HMNZS Leander has an all-around armour upgrade over HMS Arethusa. This includes thicker belt armour (now 3 in), thicker armour over the magazines (3.5 in), and added anti-fragmentation armour around the bridge area of the superstructure. This added armour increases the already decent survivability against both destroyers and now to some extent cruisers. Captains of the Leander should take advantage of this added armour while knowing that it still cannot take hits from heavy cruisers, doing so will result in the loss of the ship extremely quickly. The overall survivability is increased as the HMNZS Leader boasts a total of 767 crewmen which allows more hits to be taken without suffering a fatal amount of crew loss. When all the additional armour and crew is taken into account, it allows captains of this ship to act much more aggressively than with previous British cruisers.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB70 / 30 km/h

RB60 / 26 km/h

The HMNZS Leander boasts increased mobility and manoeuvrability over previous British cruisers. Even stock, this ship handles much better than previous ships such as the HMS Enterprise or the HMS Arethusa due to its quick rudder shifting time and faster acceleration. Once spaded, this ship turns into a fast cruiser at a 60 km/h (32 knots) forward and 26 km/h (14 knots) in reverse. This added speed along with a quick rudder shifting time allows for increased tactical flexibility in regards to positioning and manoeuvring the ship.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	70	30
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	60	26

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB7 833 → 10 613

RB8 196 → 11 105

Total cost of modifications55 400

106 800

Talisman cost1 400

Crew training65 000

Experts230 000

Aces820

Research Aces440 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

400 / 600 / 100 %

160 / 160 / 160 %

Modifications

Seakeeping	Unsinkability	Firepower
Dry-Docking Research: 2 200 Cost: 4 200 195 Rudder Replacement Research: 2 100 Cost: 4 100 190 Propeller Replacement Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 400 210 Engine Maintenance Research: 3 000 Cost: 5 800 270	Damage Control Division Research: 2 200 Cost: 4 200 195 Fire Division Research: 2 100 Cost: 4 100 190 Smokescreen Research: 2 100 Cost: 4 100 190 Shrapnel Protection Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 400 210 Ventilation Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 400 210 New Pumps Research: 3 000 Cost: 5 800 270 Ammo Wetting Research: 3 000 Cost: 5 800 270	Anti-Air Armament Targeting Research: 2 200 Cost: 4 200 195 152mm_uk_navy_5_10crh_cpbc_ammo_pack Research: 2 200 Cost: 4 200 195 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_SAP_ammo_pack Research: 2 200 Cost: 4 200 195 Auxiliary Armament Targeting Research: 2 100 Cost: 4 100 190 152mm_uk_navy_5_10crh_dist_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 2 100 Cost: 4 100 190 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_he_dist_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 2 100 Cost: 4 100 190 Primary Armament Targeting Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 400 210 Improved Rangefinder Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 400 210 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_he_radio_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 2 300 Cost: 4 400 210 Hydroplane Research: 3 000 Cost: 5 800 270 152mm_uk_navy_5_10crh_radio_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 3 000 Cost: 5 800 270 Torpedo Mode Research: 3 000 Cost: 5 800 270

Armament

Primary armament

4 х Turret2 x 6 inch/50 BL Mark XXIII cannon

Ammunition400 rounds

Vertical guidance-5° / 60°

152 mm 6 inch/50 Mark BL XXIII (x8)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
	Turret 1 (x2)	Turret 2 (x2)	Turret 3 (x2)	Turret 4 (x2)
Vertical guidance	-5°/+60°
Horizontal guidance	±145°
Total ammo capacity	1,600

The cannons of the HMNZS Leader are the same as on the previous ship, except now with another twin turret for a total of 8 guns in 4 turrets. They keep the fast reload of 7.5 seconds (with ace crew) along with their accuracy.

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		1,000 m	2,500 m	5,000 m	7,500 m	10,000 m	15,000 m
6 inch HE	HE	37	37	37	37	37	37
6 inch CPBC	SAPBC	197	172	137	110	90	67
6 inch HE-TF	HE-TF	37	37	37	37	37	37
6 inch HE-VT	HE-VT	37	37	37	37	37	37

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (s)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
6 inch HE	HE	841	50.8	0	0.1	3.96	79°	80°	81°
6 inch CPBC	SAPBC	841	50.8	0.025	7	1.7	48°	63°	71°
6 inch HE-TF	HE-TF	841	50.8	0	0.1	3.96	79°	80°	81°

Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Arming distance (m)	Trigger radius (m)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
									0%	50%	100%
6 inch HE-VT	HE-VT	841	50.8	0	0.1	240	16	3.96	79°	80°	81°

Secondary armament

4 х Turret2 x 4 inch/45 Mark XVI cannon

Ammunition400 rounds

102 mm 4 inch/45 Mark XVI (x8)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
	Front port turret (x2)	Front starboard turret (x2)	Rear port turret (x2)	Rear starboard turret (x2)
Vertical guidance	-90°/+80°	-80°/+90°	±90°
Horizontal guidance	-10°/+80°
Total ammo capacity	2,000

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		1,000 m	2,500 m	5,000 m	7,500 m	10,000 m	15,000 m
4 inch HE	HE	20	20	20	20	20	20
4 inch SAP	SAP	102	85	64	48	38	30
4 inch HE-TF	HE-TF	20	20	20	20	20	20
4 inch HE-VT	HE-VT	20	20	20	20	20	20

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (s)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
4 inch HE	HE	811	15.88	0	0.1	1,550	79°	80°	81°
4 inch SAP	SAP	811	17.35	0.015	5	600	47°	60°	65°
4 inch HE-TF	HE-TF	811	15.88	0	0.1	1,550	79°	80°	81°

Proximity-fused shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Arming distance (m)	Trigger radius (m)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
									0%	50%	100%
4 inch HE-VT	HE-VT	811	15.88	0	0.1	274	18	1,550	79°	80°	81°

Anti-aircraft armament

5 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon

Ammunition1800 rounds

Belt capacity60 rounds

Fire rate450 shots/min

3 х Turret4 x 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V machine gun

Ammunition8000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II (x5)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
	Front turret	Middle port turret	Middle starboard turret	Rear port turret	Rear starboard turret
Vertical guidance	-5°/+65°			-0°/+65°
Horizontal guidance	±180	-60°/+90°	-90°/+60°	±180
Total ammo capacity	9,000

12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V (x12)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
	Front port turret (x4)	Front starboard turret (x4)	Rear turret (x4)
Vertical guidance	+25°/+75°
Horizontal guidance	±90°
Total ammo capacity	24,000

Additional armament

Setup 18 x 533 mm steam turbined Mk.V torpedo

533 mm steam turbined Mk.V torpedo
# on ship	Mass (kg)	Maximum speed in water (km/h)	Travel distance (km)	Depth stroke (m)	Arming distance (m)	Explosive type	Explosive mass (kg)
8	1,736	74	4.57	1.0	50	TNT	305

Scout plane

Located amidships is a catapult with one Osprey Mk IV scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The Osprey may look familiar as it is a derivative of the Nimrod fighter, but as a 2-seater equipped with a defensive machine gun along with the fixed machine gun and no bombs. It does have the scout plane ability to lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilise the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new!

Note: the aircraft modelled on the ship is not the same as the aircraft that is flown when the scout plane ability is activated.

Usage in battles

The Leander is very similar to the Arethusa, its predecessor, but has some upgrades over the former. It carries an extra gun turret, giving it an 8-shell broadside which, combined with the 7.5 secs reload, can give the Leander some dangerous firepower with good accuracy. The good turret traverse and SAP shells make this ship dangerous at close quarters, where it can deal good damage and good penetration to enemy cruisers. It carries the same secondary armament of eight 4-inch guns with four on each broadside, making it a menace for destroyers and larger aircraft. It's also faster than the Arethusa and boasts a larger crew. While the armour is still weak for a cruiser, it's stronger than the Arethusa, with much better protection for the ammo stowage and the gun turrets, as well as some armour for the rudder, which is rare for a light cruiser.

One drawback for the Leander is its weakened AA armament. While it isn't terrible, it's a far cry from the powerful AA screen of the Arethusa, and can leave it vulnerable if it has no friendly ships to offer additional AA fire. The Leander's guns also start to lack at 5.3. Lacking the AP shells of other nations, heavy cruisers can be a real challenge for the Leander, and it struggles to deal good damage at long range as a result.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful, fast-firing broadside, especially dangerous at close and medium ranges
• Great secondary armament, eight 4-inch guns is dangerous for destroyers and torpedo boats
• Good armour protection, especially around the ammo and guns
• Great turret traverse on main turrets
• Good top speed and manoeuvrability
• One scout seaplane.

Cons:

• Average AA armament, weaker than the previous Arethusa
• Armour still isn't enough to save it against heavy cruiser guns
• While the crew is larger than previous cruisers, it's still pretty small
• Big target compared to previous British ships
• No APCBC shells for the 6-inch guns

History

HMNZS Leander (75) underway at sea in 1945.

HMNZS / HMS Leander was the lead ship of the eight-ship Leander class, built in the 1930s as a follow-up to the Emerald (E) class. Influenced by the design of the British County-class heavy cruisers, Leander carried a main armament of eight 6-inch guns in dual turrets. Commissioned in 1933, she served under the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy and was eventually given to the New Zealand Navy in 1941, renamed HMNZS Leander. She served in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean sea during the early days of the Second World War, primarily as a convoy escort. She later served in the Solomon Islands campaign and was hit by a 610 mm torpedo that put her out of service until the end of the war. Following the cessation of hostilities, Leander was repatriated to the UK, and served with the Mediterranean fleet until she was retired in 1948 and scrapped by 1950.

Design and development

The Leander-class cruisers originated as a successor to the British Emerald (or E) class, as the first class of light cruisers built by the United Kingdom since the end of the First World War. Influenced by the designs of the County and York classes of heavy cruisers, the Leander class had a similar hull design and gun arrangement. However, displacing 7270 tons standard, they were significantly lighter. Leander's powerful steam turbines allowed her to reach a top speed of almost 33 knots (61 km/h), but their large size meant that she had relatively low armour protection compared to her peers - up to 3 inches (76 mm) of armour at the magazines, and far less throughout the vessel.

Leander carried a main armament of eight 6-inch (152 mm) BL Mk 23 guns mounted in four twin turrets, similar to the layout of the County-class heavy cruisers. She also carried a secondary armament of four single 4-inch (102 mm) dual-purpose guns, though these were upgraded to dual turrets later in her career. Her initial anti-aircraft armament was also rather sparse, composed of just three quadruple Vickers machine guns (calibre 12.7 mm); this was also upgraded significantly in her later service. Leander, the first ship of her class, was laid down in February of 1930; following completion, she was commissioned in 1933.

Operational history

Following her completion, the Leander served in the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy, along with her sister ship Achilles. Back then, the defence of New Zealand's naval territory was conducted by the Royal Navy, and as a result, the ships were operated by the Royal Navy until the formation of the New Zealand navy in 1941. She participated in the Coronation Review of 1937, and later conducted an aerial survey of the south Pacific ocean. During the time before the war, she toured ports in New Zealand, and also participated in exercises in Australian and British waters.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Leander travelled to the port of Alexandria, in the Mediterranean. She was intended to serve in the British mediterranean fleet, but these plans were changed when she was instead given to the British East Indies squadron. During this period, she escorted convoys in the Red sea area and sank several vessels, including an Italian submarine and merchant raider.

In early 1941, Leander was formally given to the New Zealand Navy, which had been formed as an independent naval force. She was then reassigned to the Mediterranean squadron to replace several cruisers that had been destroyed. During this time, she participated in the Syria-Lebanon campaign, fighting against the Vichy French naval forces stationed in that area. After this action, Leander departed as an escort for a convoy bound for Australia, arriving in September of 1941.

In early 1942, with the Japanese raid on Pearl harbour and subsequent declaration of war, Leander began serving in the Pacific theatre. She escorted convoys during the Solomons campaign but was dry docked for several months when a crack was found in her hull. She was returned to service in March of 1943, replacing the sunken cruiser Helena in the Solomon campaign. It was there in July of 1943 when, during a short engagement with Japanese naval forces, Helena was hit by a 610 mm "long lance" torpedo. The damage was extreme, yet she survived and limped to port for repairs. In fact, the damage was extensive enough that she was taken out of service for the rest of the war. By late 1944, Leander had been paid off from the New Zealand Navy, most of her crew members going to her sister ship HMNZS Achilles. Following the completion of repairs, she was repatriated to the UK in late 1945. She saw little service, and was used as a target ship in 1948 before being scrapped by 1950.

Devblog

The Leander-class light cruisers were designed in the late 1920s under the influence of the York-class heavy cruisers. However, the Leander-class differed from previous light cruisers by placing a higher emphasis on seaworthiness and operating range, rather than on protection and firepower. This was done with the aim to make the Leander-class light cruisers more suitable for the commerce protection role.

Initially, five ships of the Leander-class were ordered in the early 1930s, with HMS Leader as the lead ship being laid down in September 1930. Leander was completed a year later and commissioned into service in March 1933. Initially, the warship served with the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, before being transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy after its formation in 1941. From there onwards, the ship sailed under its new designation HMNZS Leander.

Leander primarily served in the Pacific theatre during WW2, taking part in several smaller operations during her early service life. Leander was also briefly stationed in the Mediterranean, supporting allied troops in actions against Vichy France during the Syria-Lebanon campaign. After that, Leander once again returned to the Pacific, where she was severely damaged after an engagement with a small Japanese task force in July 1943. The damage suffered from a torpedo hit was so severe that it rendered Leander inoperable for the remainder of the war, until she was repaired in August 1945.

HMNZS Leander only had a very short post-war service life. The warship was officially decommissioned in 1948 and sold for scrap in 1950.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the HMNZS Leander from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the ship;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] HMNZS Leander - The Legend of Defiance

References:

• New Zealand History. (2020). HMNZS Leander. Retrieved January 04, 2021, from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/hmnzs-leander
• National Museum of the New Zealand Navy. (2020, June 08). Leander. Retrieved January 07, 2021, from https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-collections/ships/leander/

Devonport Royal Dockyard
Light Cruisers
Leander-class	HMNZS Leander
Battleships
Iron Duke-class	HMS Marlborough

Britain light cruisers
Emerald-class	HMS Enterprise
Dido-class	HMS Dido
Leander-class	HMNZS Leander
Arethusa-class	HMS Arethusa
Town-class	HMS Belfast · HMS Liverpool · HMS Southampton
Tiger-class	HMS Tiger
Abdiel-class*	HMS Abdiel