Penelope packed six 6-inch guns in three twin turrets into a ship of roughly 5,220 tons standard displacement. Her initial weapons also included twin 4-inch mountings, machine guns, and two triple 21-inch torpedo launchers; later light anti-aircraft weapons added to that load. Limited armour was supported by subdivision within the small hull. A top speed of 32 knots suited cruiser duties, while the stated fuel allowance gave a theoretical range of 5,300 nautical miles at 13 knots. Wartime changes allowed more fuel to be carried than the nominal allowance.
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Penelope's armament, protection, and fuel capacity
The compact cruiser combined a six-gun main battery and torpedoes with limited protection and capacity for wartime additions.