On Thursday 1 March 1934 a new Royal Navy cruiser was readied for launch at the Vickers Armstrong shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness. After a short religious ceremony conducted under a somewhat overcast sky by the Cumbrian town’s bishop, the ship was named HMS Ajax by Lady Chatfield, wife of the then First Sea Lord. The cruiser that entered the water that day was subsequently to enjoy one of the most active and distinguished careers of any British warship of her era.
A NEW DESIGN
Ajax was one of five Leander class cruisers commissioned by the Royal Navy between 1933 and 1935. Her design traced its origins to the challenges the navy faced in building sufficient cruisers to meet its worldwide commitments during the period of financial restraint that followed World War I. Although the 8in gun-armed heavy cruisers of the famous County class were ideal for policing the British Empire’s shipping routes, they were simply too expensive to be afforded in the numbers required.
The Leander class therefore represented a compromise. Armedand cheaper ships than their predecessors, but still retained the necessary endurance to defend mercantile trade across the world. Their reduced size also meant that they were better suited to operating with the Royal Navy’s fleets, stealthily scouting for enemy forces and supporting the destroyers that protected the capital ships.
