The Panagaean Navy was short of cruisers for police work around the coastlines of Panagaea. What was needed was a small cruiser with a decent range and speed. They were to be big enough to have a flying off platform for an aircraft to search the various bays and inlets for people on nefarious missions. They would be armed with twin 6" turrets. Initially the first two ships would have the 1906 model guns and turrets and ships three to six would have the more modern 1921 twin 6" with the 70 degree elevation. The last ship was completed 4 years after the previous ship as it was built using the guns and turrets removed from the Vindictive
The Fox class proved excellent investments. Tough little ships, they took a lot of punishment that would have sunk some of the more modern cruisers. Their primary peace time occupation of Trade Protection Cruisers was carried out all over the Pacific. Like most League of Nations signatories, Panagaean cruisers took part in the eradication of Piracy in the South China Seas. Not that that has ever been managed, piracy in those waters is still a problem. The difference between the series one and series two ships was 5,000 yards and two to three rounds per minute of the main armament. It was not until 1938 that the Panagaean Navy did anything about this. The other small Commonwealth cruisers had been converted into anti-aircraft cruisers and the Panagaean Admiralty decided that the Fennec Fox and Grey Fox would be converted as well. The next question was what would the armament be. Two armament types were contemplated. The twin 4" mounting or the twin 4.5" turret. Both had their advantages. The twin 4" could be added to the four singles already in the armament for a total of 12 guns. That would require the least amount of work. The twin power operated turrets with the 4.5" guns were the better equipment but would require a lot of work to strip out the twin 6" handling equipment and then fit the twin 4.5" equipment.
The 4" conversion made the most sense both in cost and time. While a 500 foot cruiser armed with 12x4" didn't sound much, they were efficient destroyer killers. The volume of fire made mincemeat out of light vessels and provided a good barrage when used in their AA mode. The two dual purpose gun directors helped with accuracy and once radar control was added the ships made great escorts to the older capital ships.
