HMS Arethusa

E9606

HMS Arethusa was a British Royal Navy light cruiser that served prominently during the early years of World War II, including North Sea operations and convoy escort duties.

Aliases (1)

Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Arethusa-class light cruiser
Royal Navy warship
light cruiser
aircraftFacility catapult for seaplane (early war configuration)
armamentPrimary 6 × 6-inch (152 mm) guns
armamentSecondary 4 × 4-inch (102 mm) anti-aircraft guns
armamentTorpedoes 8 × 21-inch torpedo tubes
beam about 51 feet
builder Chatham Dockyard
class Arethusa class (1930s)
commissionedOn 23 May 1935
country United Kingdom
crewComplement approximately 500–600 officers and ratings
damagedBy German aircraft
damagedDuring Operation Pedestal
displacementFullLoad approximately 6,665 long tons
displacementStandard approximately 5,200 long tons
draught about 14 feet
enteredServiceInDecade 1930s
fate sold for scrap after World War II
laidDownOn 25 January 1933
launchedOn 6 March 1934
lengthOverall about 506 feet
maximumSpeed about 32 knots
namedAfter Arethusa (nymph in Greek mythology)
navalEnsign White Ensign
notableFor convoy escort duties to and from the United Kingdom
early World War II North Sea operations
operator Royal Navy
participatedIn Arctic and North Sea convoy escorts
Malta convoy operations
Norwegian campaign
Operation Pedestal
partOf Home Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
pennantNumber 26
powerOutput about 64,000 shaft horsepower
propulsion 4 shafts
steam turbines
role convoy escort
fleet screening
patrol and interception
scrappedInDecade 1950s
servedInConflict World War II
status scrapped
theatreOfOperations Atlantic Ocean
Mediterranean Sea
North Sea

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Altmark Incident
involvedShip
Arethusa class (1930s) ("HMS Arethusa (26)")
ship
Arethusa class (1930s)
survivingPostwarShips

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