Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Light cruiser D61

HMS Calypso (D61)

C-class light cruiser

HMS Calypso (D61)
Unknown author — This photograph SP 1482 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 1900-01) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — D61 British light cruiser HMS CALYPSO .

Service

  1. Royal Navy as Calypso21 June 1917 — 12 June 1940285 days of the war
C-class light cruiser Particulars
Name
HMS Calypso
Pennant / hull number
D61
Builder
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Laid down
17 February 1916
Launched
24 January 1917
Commissioned
21 June 1917
Fate
Sunk, 12 June 1940 (1940)
Status
Wreck

Specifications

Displacement, standard
4,120 long tons (4,186 t)
Length
137.16 m (450 ft)
Beam
13.08 m (42.9 ft)
Draught
4.36 m (14.3 ft)
Speed
29 knots (53.7 km/h, 33.4 mph)
Complement
344
Main gun
152 mm (6 in)

HMS Calypso was a C-class light cruiser in service with the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number D61. Her keel was laid at Hawthorn Leslie and Company on 17 February 1916. Launched on 24 January 1917, she entered service on 21 June 1917.

She was one of 40 ships of her class. The class followed the W and Z-class destroyer and was succeeded by the Weapon-class destroyer.

Displacement was 4,120 long tons. She measured 137.2 m (450 ft) long with a beam of 13.1 m (43 ft). Her designed speed was 29 knots, and she carried a complement of 344.

Her main battery was five 152 mm (6 in) guns. Her machinery developed 40,000 shp.

She was in commission for 285 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 12 June 1940, at 34°03′N 24°05′E. The wreck survives.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Power
  • 6 × Yarrow boilers
  • 40000 shp
Armament
  • 5 × single 6 in guns
  • 2 × single 3 in AA guns
  • 4 × single 3 pdr (47 mm) guns
  • 4 × twin 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour
  • Side: 3 in (amidships); 1.25 - 2.25 in (bow); 2 - 2.5 in (stern)
  • Deck: 1 in (upper, amidships); 1 in (over rudder)

Sister ships

15 more in the class

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Calypso (D61) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Unknown author — This photograph SP 1482 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 1900-01) — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons