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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
NEW ZEALAND
CRUISERS
BLACK PRINCE light cruisers (1943/1946-1956)


Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Bellona 63 - C63   Fairfield, Govan, UK 30.11.1939 29.9.1942 29.10.1943 // 1948 to UK 1956 (Bellona)
Black Prince 81 - C81   Harland & Wolff, Belfast, UK 2.11.1939 27.8.1942 20.11.1943 // 1946 stricken 11.1961
Royalist 89 - C89   Scotts, Greenock, UK 21.3.1940 30.5.1942 10.9.1943 // 7.1956 sold for BU 11.1967


Technical data


Displacement standard, t

5950

Displacement full, t

7350 - 7410

Length, m

147.8 pp 156.1 oa

Breadth, m

15.4

Draught, m

5.41 - 5.46

No of shafts

4

Machinery

4 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Power, h. p.

62000

Max speed, kts

32

Fuel, t

oil 1042 - 1100

Endurance, nm(kts)5100(15)
Armour, mm

belt: 76, bulkheads: 25, turrets: 13, deck: 51 - 25

Armament

Bellona: 4 x 2 - 133/50 RP.10 Mk II, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 6 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk VII, 2 x 3 - 533 TT

Black Prince: 4 x 2 - 133/50 RP.10 Mk II, 8 x 1 - 40/60 Mk III, 3 x 4 - 40/39 Mk VII, 8 x 2 - 20/70 Mk V, 8 x 1 - 20/70 Mk VII, 2 x 3 - 533 TT

Royalist: 4 x 2 - 133/50 Mk 2, 3 x 2 - 40/60 STAAG Mk 2, 2 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7

Electronic equipmenttype 272, type 281, 3x type 282, type 284, 2x type 285 radars
Complement

530



Standard scale images


<i>Black Prince</i> 1946
Black Prince 1946
<i>Royalist </i>1960
Royalist 1960


Project history

A little changed design of Dido class with number of 133mm mountings moderated to four and third quadruple pom-pom. They had vertical funnels and masts without a declination. Royalist right after completing was converted to command ship.

Royalist was modernized at Devonport in 1954-1956. Close-range armament was renewed, TTs were removed. Bridge was rebuilt, lattice masts replaced tripods and Mk 6M directors (associated with type 285 radars) were installed fwd and aft.

Protection

Armoured belt protected machinery spaces and extended up to upper deck level abreast boiler rooms and fore engine room and to main deck level abreast aft engine room. Magazines had 76-mm sides. Armoured deck was 25-mm thick over machinery and steering gear and 51-mm over magazines.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Royalist damaged her boiler tubes when her feedwater became contaminated with seawater, and paid off prematurely in July 1966.