List of cruiser classes of the Royal Navy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

This is a list of cruisers of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. There are currently no active ships.

RN Ensign
Ships of the Royal Navy

A - B - C - D - E - F - G
H - I - J - K - L - M - N
O - P - Q - R - S - T - U
V - W - X - Y - Z
aircraft carriers
amphibious assault shipping
battlecruisers
battleships
corvettes and sloops
cruisers
destroyers
frigates
mine countermeasure vessels
monitors
patrol and attack craft
Royal Yachts
submarines
support ships
survey vessels
fleet bases
shore establishments
hospitals and hospital ships
air stations
aircraft wings
fleets and major commands
squadrons and flotillas

Contents

[edit] First class cruisers

Armoured cruisers were protected by a belt of side armour and an armoured deck. In the Royal Navy this classification was not actually used, the term first class cruiser being used instead for both armoured cruisers and large protected cruisers. Thus, the first class cruisers built between the Orlando class (1886) and the Cressy class (1897) were, strictly speaking, protected cruisers as they lacked an armored belt. The first class cruiser was succeeded by the Battlecruiser.

  • Shannon first class armoured cruiser, (1875) 5,670 tons, 2-10in, 7-9in
  • Nelson class first class armoured cruiser, 7,473 tons, 4-10in, 6-9in
    • Nelson (1876) - Sold 1910
    • Northumberland (1876) - Sold 1905
  • Imperieuse class first class armoured cruiser, 8,500 tons, 4-9.2in, 10-6in
    • Imperieuse (1883) - Sold 1913
    • Warspite (1884) - Sold 1905
  • Orlando class first class armoured cruiser, 5,600 tons, 2-9.2in, 10-6in
    • Orlando (1886) - Sold 1905
    • Australia (1886) - Sold 1905
    • Undaunted (1886) - Sold 1907
    • Narcissus (1886) - Sold 1906
    • Galatea (1887) - Sold 1905
    • Immortalité' (1887) - Sold 1907
    • Aurora (1887) - Sold 1907
  • Blake class first class protected cruiser, 9,150 tons, 2-9.2in, 10-6in
    • Blake (1889) - Sold 1922
    • Blenheim (1890) - Sold 1926
  • Edgar class first class protected cruiser, 7,700 tons, 2-9.2in, 10-6in
    • Edgar (1890)
    • Hawke (1891) - Torpedoed 1914
    • Endymion (1891)
    • Royal Arthur (1891)
    • Gibraltar (1892) - Sold 1923
    • Grafton (1892)
    • St George (1892)
    • Theseus (1892)
    • Crescent (1892)
  • Powerful class first class protected cruiser, 14,200 tons, 2-9.2in, 12-6in
    • Powerful (1895) - Sold 1929
    • Terrible (1895) - Sold 1932
  • Diadem class first class protected cruiser, 11,000 tons, 16-6in
    • Diadem (1896)
    • Niobe (1897) - To Canada as HMCS Niobe, BU 1922
    • Europa (1897)
    • Andromeda (1897)
    • Amphitrite (1898)
    • Argonaut (1898)
    • Ariadne (1898)
    • Spartiate (1898)
  • Cressy class first class armoured cruiser, 12,000 tons, 2-9.2in, 12-6in
    • Cressy (1899) - Torpedoed 1914
    • Sutlej (1899)
    • Aboukir (1900) - Torpedoed 1914
    • Hogue (1900) - Torpedoed 1914
    • Bacchante (1901)
    • Euryalus (1901)
  • Drake class first class armoured cruiser, 14,150 tons, 2-9.2in, 16-6in
    • Drake (1901) - Torpedoed 1917
    • Good Hope (ex-Africa) (1901) - Sunk during the Battle of Coronel, 1914
    • King Alfred (1901) - Sold 1920
    • Leviathan (1901) - Sold 1920
  • Monmouth class first class armoured cruiser, 9,800 tons, 14-6in
    • Monmouth (1901)
    • Bedford (1901)
    • Essex (1901)
    • Kent (1901)
    • Berwick (1902)
    • Cornwall (1902)
    • Cumberland (1902)
    • Donegal (1902)
    • Lancaster (1902)
    • Suffolk (1903) - Sold 1920
  • Devonshire class first class armoured cruiser, 10,850 tons, 4-7.5in, 6-6in
    • Devonshire (1904) - Sold 1921
    • Hampshire (1903) - Mined 1916
    • Carnarvon (1903)
    • Antrim (1903) - Sold 1922
    • Roxburgh (1904) - Sold 1921
    • Argyll (1904) - Wrecked 1915
  • Duke of Edinburgh class first class armoured cruiser,
    • Duke of Edinburgh group 13,550 tons, 6-9.2in, 10-6in
    • Warrior group 13,550 tons, 6-9.2in, 4-7.5in
      • Warrior (1905) - Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916
      • Cochrane (1905) - Wrecked 1918
      • Achilles (1905) - Sold 1921
      • Natal (1905) - Explosion 1915
  • Minotaur class first class armoured cruiser, 14,600 tons, 4-9.2in, 10-7.5in

[edit] Protected cruisers

Protected cruisers were so-called because their vital machinery spaces were protected by an armoured deck and the arrangement of coal bunkers. The ships below are all protected cruisers, but were rated as second and third class cruisers by the Royal Navy. The third class cruiser was not expected to operate with the fleet, was substantially smaller than the second class and lacked the watertight double-bottom of the latter. With the advent of turbine machinery, oil firing and better armour plate the protected cruiser became obsolete and was succeeded by the light cruiser.

  • Iris class second class cruiser, 3,730 tons, 13-5in
    • Iris (1877)
    • Mercury (1878)
  • Leander class second class cruiser, 4,300 tons, 10-6in
    • Leander (1882) - Sold 1920
    • Amphion (1883) - Sold 1906
    • Arethusa (1882) - Sold 1905
    • Phaeton (1883) - Sold 1947
  • Mersey class second class cruiser, 4,050 tons, 2-8in, 10-6in
    • Mersey (1885) - Sold 1905
    • Severn (1885) - Sold 1905
    • Thames (1885) - Renamed General Botha, scuttled 1947
    • Forth (1886) - Sold 1921
  • Medea class third class cruiser, 2,850 tons, 6-6in
    • Medea (1888) - Sold 1914
    • Marathon (1888)
    • Magicienne (1888)
    • Medusa (1888) - Sold 1920
    • Melpomene (1888)
  • Apollo class second class cruiser, 3,400 tons, 2-6in, 6-4.7in
    • Apollo (1891)
    • Aeolus (1891)
    • Andromache (1890)
    • Brilliant (1891)
    • Indefatigable (1891)
    • Intrepid (1891) - Scuttled 1918
    • Iphigenia (1891) - Scuttled 1918
    • Latona (1890) - Sold 1920
    • Melampus (1890) - Sold 1910
    • Naiad (1890) - Sold 1922
    • Pique (1890) - Sold 1911
    • Rainbow (1891) - To Canada as HMCS Rainbow 1910
    • Retribution (1891) - Sold 1911
    • Sappho (1891) - Sold 1921
    • Scylla (1891) - Sold 1914
    • Sirius (1890) - Scuttled 1918
    • Spartan (1891) - Renamed Defiance 1921, sold 1931
    • Sybille (1890) - Wrecked 1901
    • Terpsichore (1890) - Sold 1914
    • Thetis (1890) - Scuttled 1918
    • Tribune (1891) - Sold 1911
  • Astraea class second class cruiser, 4,360 tons, 2-6in, 8-4.7in
    • Astraea (1893) - Sold 1920
    • Bonaventure (1892) - Sold 1920
    • Cambrian (1893) - Sold 1923
    • Charybdis (1893) - Sold 1922
    • Flora (1893) - Renamed Indus II, sold 1922
    • Forte (1893) - Sold 1914
    • Fox (1893) - Sold 1920
    • Hermione (1893) - Renamed Warspite, sold 1940
  • Eclipse class second class cruiser, 5,600 tons, 5-6in, 6-4.7in
    • Eclipse (1894)
    • Diana (1895)
    • Dido (1896) - Sold 1926
    • Doris (1896) - Sold 1919
    • Isis (1896)
    • Juno (1895)
    • Minerva (1895)
    • Talbot (1895)
    • Venus (1895)
  • Pearl class third class cruiser, 2,575 tons, 8-4.7in
    • Pallas (1890)
    • Pandora (1889)
    • Pearl (1890)
    • Pelorus (1889)
    • Persian (1890)
    • Philomel (1890)
    • Phoebe (1890)
    • Phoenix (1889)
    • Psyche (1889)
  • Arrogant class second class cruiser, 5,750 tons, 4-6in, 6-4.7in
    • Arrogant (1896) - Sold 1923
    • Furious (1896) - Renamed Forte 1915, sold 1923
    • Gladiator (1896) - Collision 1908, refloated, sold 1909
    • Vindictive (1897) - Scuttled 1918
  • Pelorus class third class cruiser, 2,135 tons, 8-4in
    • Pelorus (1896)
    • Pactolus (1896)
    • Proserpine (1896)
    • Pegasus (1897) - Sunk 1914
    • Perseus (1897)
    • Pomone (1897)
    • Pyramus (1897)
    • Psyche (1898) - To Australia 1915
    • Prometheus (1898)
    • Pioneer (1899) - To Australia 1912, scuttled 1931
    • Pandora (1900)
  • Highflyer class second class cruiser, 5,650 tons, 11-6in
    • Highflyer (1898) - Sold 1921
    • Hermes (1898) - Torpedoed 1914
    • Hyacinth (1898) - Sold 1923
  • Challenger class second class cruiser, 5,880 tons, 11-6in
    • Challenger (1902) - Sold 1920
    • Encounter (1902) - To Australia 1912, renamed Penguin 1923, scuttled 1932
  • Topaze class third class cruiser, class 3,000 tons
    • Topaze (1903) - Sold 1921
    • Amethyst (1903) - Sold 1920
    • Diamond (1904) - Sold 1921
    • Sapphire (1904) - Sold 1921

[edit] Scout cruisers

The scout cruiser was a smaller, faster, more lightly armed and armoured cruiser than the protected cruiser, intended for fleet scouting duties and acting as a flotilla leader. The advent of better machinery and larger, faster destroyers and light cruisers effectively made them obsolete.

  • Adventure class 2,640 tons, 10-12pdr
    • Adventure (1904) - Sold 1920
    • Attentive (1904) - Sold 1920
  • Forward class 2,860 tons, 10-12pdr
    • Forward(1904) - Sold 1921
    • Foresight (1904) - Sold 1920
  • Pathfinder class 2,900 tons, 10-12pdr
    • Pathfinder (1904) - Torpedoed 1914
    • Patrol (1904) - Sold 1920
  • Sentinel class 2,880 tons, 10-12pdr
    • Sentinel (1904) - Sold 1923
    • Skirmisher (1905) - Sold 1920
  • Boadicea class 3,300 tons, 6-4in
    • Boadicea (1909)
    • Bellona (1910)
  • Blonde class 3,350 tons, 10-4in
    • Blonde (1910)
    • Blanche (1911)
  • Active class 3,440 tons, 10-4in
    • Active (1911)
    • Amphion (1912)
    • Fearless (1913)

[edit] Light cruisers

The light cruiser succeeded the protected cruiser, as improvements in machinery and armour had made the latter obsolete. The Town class were rated as second class protected cruisers, but were effectively light cruisers with mixed coal and oil firing. The Arethusa class were the first oil-only fired class which meant that the cruiser could no longer rely on the arrangement of coal bunkers in the hull as protection and adopted destroyer machinery for a higher top speed, making them the first true light cruisers. In the London Naval Treaty of 1930, light cruisers were defined as cruisers having guns of 6.1 inch (155 mm) calibre or less, with a displacement not exceeding 10,000 tons.

[edit] Heavy cruisers

The heavy cruiser was defined in the London Naval Treaty of 1930 as a cruiser with a main gun calibre not exceeding 8 inches. The earlier Hawkins class were therefore retrospectively classified as such, although they had been initially built as "improved light cruisers".

  • Cavendish or Hawkins class 9,860 tons, 7-7.5in
    • Cavendish (1918) - completed as carrier Vindictive, to cruiser 1925, to training ship 1937
    • Hawkins (1919) - scrapped 1947
    • Raleigh (1920) - wrecked 1922
    • Frobisher (1924) - scrapped 1949
    • Effingham (1925) - wrecked 1940
  • County class, 8-8in
    • Kent group 10,570 tons
      • Cumberland (1928) - scrapped 1959
      • Berwick (1928) - scrapped 1948
      • Cornwall (1928) - bombed 1942
      • Suffolk (1928) - scrapped 1948
      • Kent (1928) - scrapped 1948
      • Australia (1928) - Royal Australian Navy, scrapped 1955
      • Canberra (1928) - Royal Australian Navy, torpedoed 1942
    • London group 9,830 tons
      • London (1929) - scrapped 1950
      • Devonshire (1929) - scrapped 1954
      • Shropshire (1929) - to Royal Australian Navy 1943, scrapped 1955
      • Sussex (1929) - scrapped 1950
    • Norfolk group 10,300 tons
  • York class 8,250 tons, 6-8in
    • York (1930) - abandonded 1941, scrapped 1952
    • Exeter (1931) - sunk 1942

[edit] Large light cruisers

The "large light cruisers" were a pet project of Admiral Fisher to operate in shallow Baltic Sea waters and they are often classed as a form of battlecruiser.

  • Glorious class
    • Glorious group 19,320 tons, 4-15in, 18-4in
      • Glorious (1916) - converted to aircraft carrier 1924-1930
      • Courageous (1916) - converted to aircraft carrier 1924-1928
    • Furious group 19,513 tons, 2-18in, 11-5.5in
      • Furious (1917) - completed as aircraft carrier

[edit] See also

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/i/s/List_of_cruiser_classes_of_the_Royal_Navy_1fdf.html"