Blas de Lezo-class cruiser

Characteristics

The Blas de Lezo class ships were ordered as "fast cruisers" inspired by the design of the British C-class light cruisers. They were slower than the C-class, however, which in service proved to be their main limitation as combat ships, and they were reclassified as light cruisers as a result.

The ships were 134.11 m long between perpendiculars and 140.82 m long overall. They had a beam of 14.02 m, a maximum draft of 5.6 m, and a height of 7.72 m. Their normal displacement was 4,780 tons, and they displaced 6,045 tons at full load.

The ships were armed with six Vickers 152 mm guns in single mounts, two forward, two aft, one on either side amidships, as well as four 47 mm anti-aircraft guns located along the sides between the funnels. In 1930, twelve 533 mm torpedo tubes of in four triple mounts were installed.

The propulsion system consisted of four sets of Parsons turbines, six coal-fired Yarrow boilers, six oil-fired Yarrow boilers, which generated 43,000 hp and drove four propellers. The ships had a maximum speed of 29 kn. The fuel capacity was 730 tons of oil and 800 tons of coal, giving the ships a range of 5,000 nmi at an economical cruising speed of 13 kn.

The ships were armored, with 50 to of belt armor, 25 mm of deck armor, and a conning tower with 152 mm of armor. Each ship had a crew of 320 men.

Naming

Originally, the lead ship of the class was laid down with the name Blas de Lezo, thus giving the class as a whole this name, while the second ship received the name Méndez Núñez. However, by an order of May 1924, the ships swapped names so that the first ship, commissioned in 1924, could bear the name Méndez Núñez to honor the centenary of the birth of Contralmirante (Counter Admiral) Casto Méndez Núñez that year. Thus, the ship laid down in 1915 as Blas de Lezo was commissioned as Méndez Núñez in 1924, while the ship laid down in 1920 as Méndez Núñez was commissioned as Blas de Lezo in 1925.

Ships

''Blas de Lezo''

Blas de Lezo was named after Admiral Blas de Lezo. In early 1926, she supported the transatlantic flight from Spain to Buenos Aires, Argentina, of a four-man Spanish Air Force crew led by pilot Major Ramón Franco – the brother of future Spanish caudillo Francisco Franco – and including copilot/navigator Captain Julio Ruiz de Alda Miqueleiz in the Dornier Do J Wal ("Whale") flying boat Plus Ultra ("Farther Still"), carrying spares and other equipment for the flight. She struck a rock near Cape Finisterre in 1932 and sank in deep water.

''Méndez Núñez''

Méndez Núñez was named after Admiral Casto Méndez Núñez. She was based in Equatorial Guinea at the start of the Spanish Civil War and she returned home to fight for the Spanish Republican Navy. In 1939, following the Cartagena Uprising, she was interned in Bizerte and seized by the French authorities. She was later handed over to Francoist Spain.

Méndez Núñez was reconstructed into an anti-aircraft cruiser in 1944, rearmed with eight 120 mm Vickers anti-aircraft guns in single mounts, eight 37 mm guns of German origin in four twin mounts, and eight 20mm light anti-aircraft guns of German origin in two quadruple mounts. The superstructure was completely rebuilt and fitted with modern fire-control equipment. Two triple banks of torpedo tubes were retained. Méndez Núñez served until 1963.

References

Bibliography

References

1. . (8 April 2022). ["Mendez Nunez (1924)"](https://todoavante.es/index.php?title=Mendez_Nunez_(1924)).
2. O'Connor, Derek, "The Other Franco," ''Aviation History'', January 2018, p. 57.