While Algarve may have been allied to the Commonwealth countries, the Commonwealth did not pass on the new inventions straight away. At least 6-12 months might pass before Algarve was made aware of new fittings for its ships, otherwise Algarve had to invent their own parts. The cost of such research and development over the whole spectrum of armed forces was beyond the financial resources of Algarve and most other countries. It is only the largest of the Major Powers that had the resources and money to continually advance and develop their war machines.
Algarve was still completing the Torquay class cruisers when the rest of the Major powers went to the 6” cruisers. By the time Algarve laid down their Condor class cruisers, the British had built or were building nineteen 6”ships (8 x Leander type (3 improved), 3 x Arethusa , 8 x Southampton). The four Condor class were laid down in pairs in 1935 and 1936, with completion dates in 1938-39.
The Condor class missed out the twin 6” ships and went straight to the triple mounting and ships that were as big as the earlier heavy cruisers. Twin 4”, twin 40mm, triple torpedo tubes, aircraft handling facilities all featured on the new ships. But the largest innovation was the radar for the search and gunnery sets for the 6”, and the dual purpose sets for the HACS units for the 4”. The sets for the 40mm were under production but not enough were available at the time of the Condor classes completion dates - the battleships and carriers got first go at the new equipment.
Displacement: 10,400 tons standard, 13,500 tons full load
Dimensions: 610 x 63 x 24 feet
Machinery: 2 shaft, geared turbines, 75,000shp
Speed: 32 knots
Endurance: 10,000 miles at 15 knots
Armour: 4” belt, 2” deck, 4/2/2” turrets
Armament:
12 x 6” (4x3)
10 x 4” (5x2)
30 x 40mm (15x2)
6 x 21 TT (2x3)
Aircraft: 1
Crew: 740
ARS Condor
ARS Eagle
ARS Goshawk
ARS Fulmar