HMS Curacoa (D41)

C-class cruiser light cruiser

Service

Royal Navy as Curacoa18 February 1918 — 2 October 19421,127 days of the war

C-class cruiser light cruiser Particulars

Name: HMS Curacoa
Pennant / hull number: D41
Namesake: Curaçao
Builder: Pembroke Dockyard
Ordered: March 1916
Laid down: 13 July 1916
Launched: 5 May 1917
Commissioned: 18 February 1918
Fate: Sunk in collision with Queen Mary, 2 October 1942
By collision (1942)
Status: Wreck

Specifications — As built

Displacement, standard: 4,190 long tons (4,257 t)
Length: 137.16 m (450 ft) OA
Beam: 13.11 m (43 ft)
Draught: 4.27 m (14 ft)
Speed: 29 knots (53.7 km/h, 33.4 mph)
Complement: 460
Main gun: 152 mm (6 in)

HMS Curacoa was a C-class cruiser light cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number D41. The ship was named after Curaçao. Pembroke Dockyard laid her keel on 13 July 1916. Launched on 5 May 1917, she entered service on 18 February 1918.

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.

She displaced 4,190 long tons standard and 5,403 long tons at full load. 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 460.

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

She was in commission for 1,127 days of the Second World War.

She was sunk on 2 October 1942 by collision, at 55°50′N 8°38′W. The wreck survives.

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

Armament and machinery

This vessel is recorded in 2 configurations. Wartime refits changed armament and complement substantially, so each is kept separately rather than averaged into one set of figures. The figures above are as built.

As built

Propulsion: 2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Power: 6 × Yarrow boilers
40000 shp
Armament: 5 × single 6 in guns
2 × single 3 in anti-aircraft guns
4 × twin 21 in torpedo tubes
Armour: Waterline belt: 1.25 - 3 in
Deck: 1 in

Where different

Displacement, full load: 5,403 long tons (5,490 t)
Main gun: 102 mm (4 in)
Armament: 4 × twin 4-inch (102 mm) dual-purpose guns
2 × single, 1 × quadruple 2-pounder (40 mm) AA guns
2 × quadruple Vickers 0.5 in AA machine guns

Sister ships

15 more in the class

Sources

Facts harvested from HMS Curacoa (D41) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
Photograph: Unknown author — http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//17/media-17788/large.jpg This photograph A 5808 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons