Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Brian James
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Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Lead Ship,Light Cruiser HMNZS Leander pictured arriving in Calliope Dock at Auckland for repairs to the damage she sustained during the Battle of Kolombangara. Leander was hit in the early hours of July 13th, 1943 by a Japanese torpedo. Twenty-eight sailors were killed with a further fifteen injured.
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Brian James
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Inspection of torpedo damage sustained by Lead Ship,Light Cruiser HMNZS Leander during the the Battle of Kolombangara.....(also known as the Second Battle of Kula Gulf) was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 12/13 July 1943, off Kolombangara in the Solomon Islands.
A Japanese 'Tokyo Express' reinforcement force—commanded by Sho-sho (Rear Admiral) Shunji Izaki and comprising the Light Cruiser Jintsu, the Destroyers Mikazuki, Yukikaze, Hamakaze, Kiyonami and Yūgure and the Destroyer Transports Satsuki, Minazuki, Yūnagi, and Matsukaze—made a run down 'The Slot' from the upper Solomons to land troops at Vila on Kolombangara by way of Kula Gulf on the night of July 12th 1943.
An Allied force—commanded by Rear Admiral Walden L. Ainsworth and comprising the United States Navy Light Cruisers USS Honolulu and St. Louis and Royal New Zealand Navy Light Cruiser HMNZS Leander, and the Destroyers USS Nicholas, O'Bannon, Taylor, Jenkins, Radford, Ralph Talbot, Buchanan, Maury, Woodworth, and Gwin—were deployed in a single column with five Destroyers in the van followed by the Light Cruisers and then by five Destroyers in the rear.
The U.S. had landed troops of the 37th Infantry Division on New Georgia to attack Munda the week before and had just placed Marine Raiders ashore at Rice Anchorage on New Georgia's northern shore to seize Bairoko. Ainsworth's mission was to protect the north shore beachhead from attack by the 'Tokyo Express' and if possible to prevent Imperial reinforcements from landing.
At 01:00 on July 13th, the Allied ships established radar contact about 20 mi east of the northern tip of Kolombangara. Ainsworth assumed he had complete surprise, but the Japanese had been aware of the Allied force for almost two hours. The Destroyers increased speed to engage the Japanese force while the Cruisers turned to deploy their main batteries, but the Imperial Destroyers had already launched Long Lance torpedoes and turned away. Jintsu engaged the Allied ships and was subjected to concentrated Allied fire. She was reduced to a wreck, broken in two by torpedo hits and sank at about 01:45, with the loss of nearly her entire crew, including Izaki. On the Allied side, Leander was struck by a torpedo and, severely damaged, retired from the battle and was escorted by Radford and Jenkins.
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Brian James
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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HMNZS Leander at anchor in Solomon Islands waters,July 25th 1943.
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Brian James
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Make and mend on HMNZS Leander at a Middle Eastern port....1941.
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Brian James
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Supplies loaded for HMNZS Leander, Alexandria 1941.
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Brian James
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Lead Ship,Light Cruiser HMS Leander (attached to the New Zealand Division of the RN),pictured at Melbourne,sporting her Supermarine Walrus,January 1938.
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Brian James
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Lead Ship,Light Cruiser HMS Leander seen in the Canal Zone in 1938.
Leander was launched at Devonport on September 24th 1931. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Leander on March 24th 1933. Along with sister Achilles,both had a New Zealand crew and served in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.
In 1941 the New Zealand Division became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and she was commissioned as HMNZS Leander in September 1941.
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designeraccd
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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Nice close ups!! :D Here is a view from 1945, note X turret was removed to enhance the light AA........DFO
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Little h
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

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That is one dreadful looking funnel guys - IMO that is!!
Little h
designeraccd
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Re: Cruisers: Leander Class; HMNZS Leander

Unread post by designeraccd »

Trunked and "streamlined", typical modern 1930s look!! ;) The cgi over head gives a fine view of the "teardrop" shape. DFO
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