SPAHKREUZER

Displacement: 4,662 tons/4,736 tonnes (standard); 5,713 tons/5,804 tonnes (full load).

Length: 498ft 9in/152m (oa); 475ft 9in/145m (wl).

Beam: 48ft/14.6m; Draught: 15ft 3in/4.66m (mean).

Machinery: 2-shaft SR geared turbines; 1-shaft MAN diesel; 4 Bauer-Wagner boilers.

Performance: 77,500shp+14,500bhp=35.5kts; Bunkerage:

600 tons oil.

Range: 7,000nm at 17kts.

Protection: 10mm main deck; 18mm longitudinal bulkhead.

Guns: six 5.9in (3x2); two 3.5in (1x2); eight 3.7cm (4x2); eight 2cm (8x1).

Torpedoes: ten 21 in (2x5).

Fate

Broken up on slip 1943

Aircraft: nil. Complement: 583.

Design The ‘Super Destroyer’ or Scout design which came up in discussions when the M Class was being considered was given further, separate attention, and emerged as a ship with armament superior to that of enemy destroyers and capable of out-running enemy cruisers; very much the concept of the ‘Panzerschiffe’. The design progressed through several stages, being variously designated Spahkreuzer 38, 39 and 40, all of which were armed with six 15cm guns in three twin turrets, though they differed in the layout of the weapons and machinery. It is debatable whether these ships were destroyers or cruisers; their armament was that of a destroyer, but they did have a very light protective armoured deck and a 50mm side belt. Despite the outbreak of war, the design work on these ships continued, perhaps another reason to consider them as destroyers, because at that time all construction of ships larger than destroyers, with five exceptions, was stopped. Orders were placed as late as 17 February 1941 with Germania, where they supplanted three destroyers on the programme (Z40-42), the ships being referred to as SP1-SP5. Orders for the main machinery of further units SP4-6 were also placed that December. Only the first ship was laid down, on 30 August 1941, her existence being noted by RAF PRU flights by November. The whole programme was suspended on 23 March 1942, however, and no other was ship laid down. SPl remained on the slip until mid-1943, PRU reports noting that she had been completely dismantled by 31 July.

Ship

Caledon

Calypso

Caradoc

Laid Down 17 Mar 16 7 Feb 16 21 Feb16

Completed 6 Mar 17 21 Jun 17 15 Jun 17

Launched 25 Nov 16 24 Jan 17 23 Dec 16

Below: Calypso in July 1935. (W&L)