Powerful class cruiser

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The Powerful class were armoured cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the 1890's. They were designed for hunting hunting down commerce raiders such as the Russian armoured cruiser Rurik and numerous French armoured cruisers of the era. The Powerfuls were large and expensive ships and were criticised for their apparently small armament. They had however excellent sea keeping and proved valuable as troop transports.

1 General Characteristics
2 Ships
3 Reference
4 See also

[edit] General Characteristics

Displacement: 14200 tons deep load
Length: 500 ft (152.4 m)
Beam: 71 ft (21.6 m)
Draught: 27 ft (8.2 m)
Machinery: 2 shafts, 4 cylinder VTE steam engines, 48 Bellville type water tube boilers, 25,000 hp
Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h)
Range: 7000 nm (13000 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h), 3000 tons coal
Armament:
- 2 - 9.2 inch (23.4 cm) guns
- 12 - 6 inch (15.2 cm) guns
- 16 - 12 pdr guns
- 12 - 3 pdr guns
- 4 torpedo tubes
Armour: 2 - 6 inch (3 - 15 cm) deck, 6 inch (15.2 cm) barbettes, 6 inch (15.2 cm) gun shields
Crew: 894

[edit] Ships

Powerful - built by Vickers, Barrow in Furness, Laid down 1894, launched 24 July 1895, completed 8 June 1897, confined to subsidiary duties 1904, Scrapped 1929
Terrible - built by J&G Thompson, Clydebank, laid down 1894, launched 27 May 1895, completed 24 March 1898, confined to subsidiary duties 1904, Scrapped 1932

Both ships served in the China Station and provided landing parties which fought in the relief of the Siege of Ladysmith in the Second Boer War. This event inspired the Field gun competition. Crews from the two ships also took part in suppressing the Boxer Rebellion in China. After 1904 they were laid up as an economy measure. During World War I, they had most of their armament removed and served a troop transports and later accommodation ships.