HMNZS ACHILLES

THE RIVER PLATE

Achilles was a 7200-ton Dido Class light cruiser launched on the Mersey, 1932.

In 1936 the Admiralty handed her over to NZ’s Navy Board. In 1939, with Exeter and Ajax, she was in at the death of the Deutschland-class “Panzerschiff” Admiral Graf Von Spey at the Battle of the River Plate.

In 1943 played a distinguished role in the crucial operations at Guadalcanal.

An internal explosion refitting and repairing damage taken at Guadalcanal at Portsmouth prevented her from participating in the 1944 Normandy landings, but in 1945 she was back in the Pacific in the terminal actions of the war against Japan.

In 1946 she was handed back to the Admiralty and in 1948 she was acquired by the Indian Navy renamed Delhi. 1978 she was broken up.

Portrayal of what it was to serve through a whole war in a distinguished fighting ship. This book is a splendid tribute to that ship and to the New Zealanders and Imperials who lived – and died – in Achilles.

In all three light cruisers of the Dido class served New Zealand in WWII. Achilles, Leander and Neptune. After WWII a modified version of the class Royalist was acquired and served the Royal New Zealand Navy for many many years.

WRITTEN BY JACK S HARKER CPOTEL QSM

Achilles Index