The seventh HMS Arethusa of the Royal Navy was the name ship of her class of light cruisers. Built at Chatham Dockyard. She had an fairly eventful life.

Laid down on 25 January 1933, launched on 6 March 1934. Commissioned on 21 May 1935 by Captain Philip Vian she immediately became Flagship of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron, part of the Mediterranean Fleet.

Transferred to 2nd Cruiser Squadron (part of the Home Fleet) in February 1940. A short refit was given at Chatham during August and September 1940 before returning to the Home Fleet. She was involved in a collision in October 1940 and was repaired on the Tyne, before returning to the Thames to augment the anti-aircraft barrage for London for an unknown period.

Another transfer - to the 15th Cruiser Squadon in the Mediterranean came in February 1942. Damaged by an aerial torpedo in November of that year she spent most of 1943 under repair, initially at Alexandria to carry out emergency repairs and then a more thorough job at Charleston.

April 1944 saw Arethusa rejoin the Home Fleet, this time as part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron. Again she was not in service for long, sustaining two bomb hits in late June - an event that required 5 months of repair, this time on Clydeside.

On completion of these repairs she rejoined the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterrranean and stayed there until October 1945 when she returned to the United Kingdom and was immediately placed in the reserve (at The Nore ).

There was a tentative plan to sell her to the Royal Norwegian Navy in 1946 but this came to nothing and she was placed in category 'B' reserve.

She was finally sold out of service and scrapped in 1950.

See HMS Arethusa for other ships of the name.