HMS Bristol (1910)

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The fifth HMS Bristol was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, displacing 4,800 tons, with a crew of 376, and capable of 27 knots. She was launched in 1910, and carried two 6 inch (152 mm) and ten 4 inch (102 mm) guns.

On the outbreak of World War I in 1914 she was in the West Indies and was the first British ship to see action, engaging the German raider Karlsruhe which used her superior speed to escape.

By early December 1914 she formed part of the squadron sent to avenge the defeat at Coronel, and was refueling with coal in the harbour of Stanley on the morning of 8 December. Because of this, she was two hours late in joining the chase which was the Battle of the Falkland Islands and consequently did not engage the main enemy force, attacking two collier ships instead.

She later joined the Adriatic Squadron under an Italian admiral and fought in the inconclusive battle of the Otranto Straits against a fleet of Austrian cruisers.

Bristol was scrapped in Cornwall in 1921.

See HMAS Bristol for other ships of this name.

Town-class cruiser

Royal Navy

Bristol class

Bristol |Glasgow | Gloucester | Liverpool | Newcastle

Weymouth class

Weymouth | Yarmouth | Dartmouth | | Falmouth

Chatham class

Chatham | Dublin | Southampton

Birmingham class

Birmingham | Lowestoft | Nottingham