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HMS Euryalus (42)
HMS Euryalus 1941 IWM FL 5242
Euryalus at a buoy on completion, June 1941
Career (UK) Royal Navy Ensign
Class and type: Dido-class light cruiser
Name: HMS Euryalus
Builder: Chatham Dockyard
Laid down: 21 October 1937
Launched: 6 June 1939
Commissioned: 30 June 1941
Decommissioned: 19 September 1954
Fate: Scrapped, Arrived at Blyth on 18 July 1959 to be scrapped by Hughes Bolckow.
General characteristics
Displacement: 5,600 tons standard
6,850 tons full load
Length: 485 ft (148 m) pp
512 ft (156 m) oa
Beam: 50.5 ft (15.4 m)
Draught: 14 ft (4.3 m)
Propulsion: Parsons geared turbines
Four shafts
Four Admiralty 3-drum boilers
62,000 shp (46 MW)
Speed: 32.25 knots (60 km/h)
Range: 2,414 km (1,500 miles) at 30 knots
6,824 km (4,240 miles) at 16 knots
1,100 tons fuel oil
Complement: 480
Armament:
Original configuration:
  • 10 x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns,[1]
  • 1 x 4.0 in (102 mm) gun,
  • 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns,
  • 3 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns,
  • 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes.

Mid 1943 - Mid 1944 configuration:

  • 10 x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns,
  • 3 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns
  • 4 x 20 mm (0.8 in) dual guns,
  • 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns,
  • 2 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns,
  • 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes.

Mid 1944 - 1945 configuration:

  • 8 x 5.25 in (133 mm) dual guns,
  • 3 x 20 mm (0.8 in) single guns
  • 6 x 20 mm (0.8 in) dual guns,
  • 2 x 0.5 in MG quadruple guns,
  • 3 x 2 pdr (37 mm/40 mm) pom-poms quad guns,
  • 2 x 21 in (533 mm) triple Torpedo Tubes.
Armor:
Original configuration:
  • Belt: 3 inch,
  • Deck: 1 inch,
  • Magazines: 2 inch,
  • Bulkheads: 1 inch.
Notes: Pennant number 42

HMS Euryalus was a Dido-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Chatham Dockyard UK), with the keel being laid down on 21 October 1937. She was launched on 6 June 1939, and commissioned 30 June 1941. Euryalus was the last cruiser that Chatham Dockyard built.

History[]

Mediterranean Service[]

HMS Birmingham convoy

The cruisers HMS Edinburgh, HMS Hermione, and HMS Euryalus, steaming in line abreast whilst they escort a convoy as part of Operation Halberd, - convoy not visible.

Second Battle of Sirte[]

HMS Cleopatra smoke

HMS Cleopatra throws out smoke to shield the convoy as HMS Euryalus elevates her forward 5.25 inch guns to shell the Italian Fleet. Second Battle of Sirte 22 March 1942

Malta Convoys[]

Invasion of Sicily[]

Service in the Far East[]

British Pacific Fleet[]

Post War Service[]

HMS Euryalus was the last original Dido operational in RN, till 1954, mainly on the Sth Atlantic station. It was much the most modernised of the original Didos, having been extensively updated October 1943 – June 1944 at John Browns on the Clyde with new light a/a armament of 20mm, 40mm and 2pdr mounting and a generally new radar suite with 293 radar the standard post war RN target indicator and close range air and surface search, 272 heightfinders and surface warning and new navigation radar. After the end of WW2 HMS Euryalus spent 18 further months in the Pacific Fleet operating from Sydney, Japan and Hong Kong before returning to the UK for a year-long modernisation at Rosyth in 1947-48. By this time the Long range airwarning radar on the HMS Euryalus was the late war 279b/281, the precursor of the post 1945, Type 960. Photos reveal that Euryalus's 5.25 turrets were also modified externally in the same way as Vanguard's and Royalist's with the insertion in the turret for operators of a large perplex sighting windows. It should be noted that plans to update 4 Didos or Improved Didos in the 1950s to HMS Royalist included 2 of the original Didos which would have been reboilered.

Notes[]

  1. Dido Class Cruisers, Raven and Lenton, p7

References[]

External links[]


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