LEANDER Ships

In total, there have been six naval ships named 'Leander'. All ships belonged to the Royal Navy (the United Kingdom's naval warfare force) however, one ship was given to the to the Royal New Zealand Navy. 

Clarification: There are two 'Devonport's'.
The Devonport in Auckland was named after the Devonport in England. The English Devonport is one of the Royal Navys main Naval Base.
With exception of the 5th Leander, whenever Devonport is mentioned, this refers to the Devonport in England.

Vertical Divider

The Royal Navy
(The United Kingdom's Navy)

Ensign of the Royal Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy
(New Zealand's Navy)

Ensign of the Royal New Zealand Navy

The First Leander

The first ship to carry the name HMS Leander was a fourth rate, 52-gun, ship.
Built at Chatham Dockyard, launched 01-Jul-1780, 146ft long, 40ft 6in wide and of 1,044 tons.
Captured twice: 17-Aug-1798, by the French ship Genereux, and 03-Mar-1799 by the Russians at Corfu and returned to the Royal Navy. Renamed HMS Hygeia and used as a hospital ship from 1813.
Sold 14-Apr-1817.
Won the Battle Honour: Nile 1798.

The Second Leander

The second ship to carry the name HMS Leander was a fourth rate, 58-gun, pitch pine built, ship.
​Built by Wigram & Green of Blackwall, launched 10-Nov-1813, 174ft long, 45ft wide and of 1,572 tons builders measurement. Armed with 26 x 12pdr carronades and 32 x 32pdr guns.
Broken up Mar-1830.
Won the Battle Honour: Algiers 1816.

​The Third Leander

The third ship to carry the name HMS Leander was a fourth rate, 50-gun, ship.
​Built at Portsmouth Dockyard, launched 08-Mar-1848, 181ft 6in long, 51ft wide and of 1,987 tons builders measurement.
Conversion to a screw ship completed 16-Feb-1861 and displacing 2,760 tons.
Sold 1867.
Won the Battle Honour: Crimea 1854-55.

​The Fourth Leander

The fourth ship to carry the name HMS Leander was the name ship of a class of four a second class cruisers.
​Built by Napier of Glasgow, laid down 14-Jun-1880, launched 28-Oct-1882, and completed 29-May-1885.
Moved to the China station from 1886 to 1896. returned to the UK based at Chatham until 1997 when she returned to the Pacific until 1901.
Conversion to a destroyer depot ship took from 1902-04 and on completion served in the Mediterranean. Then it was on the the Atlantic 1905, the Nore 1906, Devonport 1907-14, the Grand Fleet 1914-19.
Final service was at Devonport and she paid off and was sold 01-Jul-1920.

​The Fifth Leander

The fifth ship to carry the name HMS Leander was a Cruiser, and name ship of a class of five ships.
​Built at Devonport Dockyard, laid down 08-Sep-1930, launched 24-Sep-1931, and commissioned 24-Mar-1933.
Took part in the King George V Silver Jubilee Fleet Review 16-Jul-1935.

On completion joined the Home Fleet, then in Apr-1937 was loaned to the New Zealand Division., When WW2 started, as part of the NZ Division undertook trade protection duties in the South-West Pacific. Then on to troop convoy escort for ANZAC forces going across the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and Suez. This continued until 1941. 
​

In Feb-1941 intercepted the Italian raider Ramb 1 off Bombay. Then on 04-Mar in company with HMAS Canberra intercepted the blockade runners Ketty Brovig and Coburg South-East of the Seychelles
​
​Went to Basra Apr-1941 during the Iraq insurrection, then Jun-1941 moved to the Mediterranean and the operation against Vichy-French Syria. Arriving 13-Jun-1941 and took part in the blockade of Beirut. In company with HMS Naiad and escorting destroyers engaged the French ship Guepard on 23-Jun.
​
Returned to NZ at the end 1941 for refit and continued in the South-West Pacific area Dec-1941. Was part of the ANZAC force when it formed at Suva in Fiji 12-Feb-1942. Saw action in the Papua-New Guinea-New Hebrides area of operations, as well as in the Coral Sea.

​May-1942 landed the first Allied forces on Espirito Santo in the New Hebrides. Completed convoy escort duty during the Guadalcanal campaign.

Jan-1943 was transferred to the US 3rd Fleet, then it she went from he New Hebrides to the Solomon Islands to join CruDiv9, part of Task Force 36.1.

On 12-Jul-1943 intercepted Japanese Destroyers running the 'Tokyo Express' in the Kula Gulf. During the resulting night gun action, known as the Battle of Kolombangara, was hit by a torpedo and badly damaged.

Temporary repairs were made at Auckland which took until Dec-1943. After which she went to Boston where full repair took from 03-Jan-1944 until 27-Aug-1944.
​
Returned to UK waters.
Sold 15-Dec-1949, and arrived at Blyth 15-Jan-1950 for breaking up.
Won the Battle Honour: Kula Gulf 1943.

The New Zealand Leander

The Sixth Leander

The sixth ship to carry the name HMS Leander was a Leander Class frigate.
​Built by Harland & Wolff, launched 28-Jun-1961.
Expended as a target 14-Sep-1989.