HMNS Caledon (1950)

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HMS Hawkins.jpg
Caledon, November 1950
History
Flag of Castile-La Mancha.svgVionna-Frankenlisch
Name: Caledon
Namesake: Admiral the Earl of Caledon
Ordered: March 1948
Builder: J.M Loughton and Sons, Brumley
Laid down: November 1948
Launched: 1st December 1949
Commissioned: 20th June 1950
Fate: Decomissioned in May 1989, preserved as museum ship at Port Walshingham
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type: Admiral-class gun-cruiser
Displacement: 10,800 long tons (11,000 t) (standard)
Length: 605 ft 1.5 in (184.4 m)
Beam: 65 ft (19.8 m)
Draught: 19 ft 3 in (5.9 m) (deep load)
Installed power: Eight Admiralty Standard boilers
Propulsion: Four shaft steam turbines
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement: 564 (612 as flagship)
Armament:
  • 7 × single 7.5 in (191 mm) guns
  • 12 × single radar-guided 3 in (76 mm) dual-purpose guns
  • 8 x Seacat dual missile launchers
  • 4 x dual 1.6 in (41 mm) Bofors AA guns
  • 4 x quad radar-guided 20mm Oerlikon AA guns
  • 4 × individual 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:

HMNS Caledon was an Admiral-class cruiser built for the Vionna-Frankenlischian Imperial Navy at the end of the 1940s. She served through the Red Decade, remaining on the royalist side of the various conflicts during that period - seeing action in the Imperial Civil War, the Gallandian Civil War, and the War of Restoration. Caledon was decomissioned in 1989 and remains preserved as a museum ship in Port Walshingham, Owaya, under the patronage of its former captain - Owayan businessman, Sir Kuray Tete.

The Caledon is well-known today due to its continued existence as a popular tourist attraction, and for its connection to the Owayan beer brand Royal Caledon.

Design and description

The Admiral-class cruisers were designed during the ministry of Clarence Addlington as the first of the modern Vionna-Frankenlischian gun-cruisers. At the time, government budgeting meant that the Imperial Navy needed solid multi-purpose ships which could be built cheaply. In the case of the Admiral-class, priority was placed on designing a ship which could keep up with most surface combatants, provide close-range anti-air cover, and carry a significant enough gun armament to carry out shore bombardment and engage other cruisers and destroyers. Long range was also a desired feature for hunting down enemy commerce raiders.

Caledon had an overall length of 605 feet 1.5 inches (184.4 m), a beam of 65 feet (19.8 m), and a draught of 19 feet 3 inches (5.9 m). She displaced 10,800 long tons (11,000 t). Her crew consisted of 564 officers and ratings, this increased to 612 when deployed as a flagship - with the additional numbers coming from the admiral's staff and a strengthened complement of marines. Caledon was powered by eight Admiralty Standard boilers driving four steam turbines with a propellor shaft each. The power provided by these gave her a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), and she had a range of 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).

Construction and career