HMS Ajax (22)

HMS Ajax (22) was a ''Leander''-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s. She served with distinction throughout the Second World War, most famously as part of Commodore Henry Harwood's South American Division during the Battle of the River Plate. Following the war, the cruiser was placed in reserve before being sold for scrapping in 1949.

Service history

Ordered under the 1929–30 Naval Programme, the ship was laid down at Vickers-Armstrongs' Barrow-in-Furness yard on 7 February 1933. She was launched on 1 March 1934 by Lady Margaret Boyle, wife of Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Glasgow, and commissioned into the Home Fleet on 12 April 1935. After initial service with the 2nd Cruiser Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet, she was assigned to the America and West Indies Station in 1937.

Design and description

As a member of the first group of Leander-class cruisers, Ajax was designed within the constraints of the London Naval Treaty. Her main armament consisted of eight BL 6-inch Mk XXIII guns in four twin turrets, with secondary armament provided by four QF 4-inch Mk V guns. Propulsion was from four Parsons geared steam turbines, fed by six Admiralty three-drum boilers, giving a top speed of 32.5 knots. She carried one Fairey Seafox floatplane for reconnaissance, launched by a catapult amidships.

World War II

At the outbreak of war in September 1939, Ajax was operating in the South Atlantic under Commodore Henry Harwood. In December, she, along with the heavy cruiser HMS ''Exeter'' and the light cruiser HMS ''Achilles'', engaged the German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' in the Battle of the River Plate. Ajax sustained significant damage but helped force the German ship into the neutral port of Montevideo. Following repairs, she served in the Mediterranean, participating in the Battle of Cape Matapan and the Evacuation of Crete. She later supported Allied landings during Operation Torch and the Allied invasion of Sicily.

Post-war

After the end of hostilities, Ajax transported troops and served as a cadet training ship. She was placed in reserve at Devonport in 1948. Despite proposals to convert her into a museum ship to commemorate the Battle of the River Plate, a lack of funds led to her being sold to British Iron & Steel Corporation (BISCO) on 18 November 1949. She arrived at the breaker's yard of Cashmore's in Newport, Wales, on 11 December 1949 for demolition.

Commanding officers

{| class="wikitable" |- ! From ! To ! Captain |- | 3 June 1935 | 30 August 1937 | Captain C. H. L. Woodhouse RN |- | 30 August 1937 | 15 July 1940 | Captain C. H. L. Woodhouse RN |- | 15 July 1940 | 24 December 1940 | Captain E. D. B. McCarthy RN |- | 24 December 1940 | 23 February 1942 | Captain J. W. A. Waller RN |- | 23 February 1942 | 15 May 1943 | Captain J. W. A. Waller RN |- | 15 May 1943 | 15 November 1944 | Captain J. W. A. Waller RN |- | 15 November 1944 | 14 February 1946 | Captain J. W. A. Waller RN |}

Notes and citations

Category:Leander-class cruisers (1931) Category:Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness Category:World War II cruisers of the United Kingdom Category:1934 ships