Leander-class
An item referred to the Revue Maritime dated May reporting that British cruisers to be built under the 1929-1930 Programme were to be of complete new designs. For one cruiser was the design yet not approved, for the other two cruisers became clear that their armament was to be 15,2cm/6” guns and that they were smaller as the cruisers built before.(1) The Dutch magazine thought that this development was of interest for the Netherlands while a continued building of 10.000 ton cruisers with a main armament of 20,3cm/8” would devalue the worth of smaller cruisers.(2) Decreasing of the dimensions of new to be built cruisers was a good sign. The editor did not believe that on short notice all new cruisers were to be of a smaller design regarded the wishes of the USA.
Notes
1. This must be the Leander-class, preceded by the Emerald-class and succeeded by the Arethusa-class, with a displacement of and a main armament of 3x2-15,2cm/6” guns and a displacement of 7.270 tons standard. The first of this class was the Leander was laid down on 18 February 1930. The Amphion sub-class had a slightly decreased displacement.
2. According to the Washington Naval Treaty dated 6 February signed by the major naval powers at that moment (USA, UK, France, Italy and Japan) was the maximum displacement of a cruiser 10.000 tons and the main calibre 20,3cm/8”.
