THE TORPEDOED BRITISH CRUISERS

Evening Star, Issue 15607, 25 September 1914, Page 3

THE TORPEDOED BRITISH CRUISERS

The Aboukir, Cressy (whose picture is given above), and Hogue -were sister ships, and belonged to the "Cressy" class of armored cruisers, of which six were built between 1899 and 1904, the other three being the Bacchante, Euralyus, and Sutlej. The Cressy was launched by the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company, Ltd. (builders of H.M.S. New Zealand), at Govan on December 4, 1899 ; the Aboukir at Govan on May 16, 1900; and the Hogue by Messrs Vickers, Ltd., at Barrow on August 13, 1900.

The leading particulars of the ships were as follow :—Displacement, 12,000 tons; length, 440 ft; beam, 69ft 6in; draught, 26ft 3in ; reciprocating engines of 21,500 horse-power, driving two screws, supplied with steam from 30 Belleville boilers.

The ships were armed with two 9.2 in, twelve 6in, twelve 12-pounders, three 3-poimders, eight machine guns, and two light guns, and were fitted with two torpedo tubes. Each ship was heavily armored to protect her vitals from shell fire, tho total weight of armor in each being 1,100 tons. Tho protective deck of Harveyised steel

varied from- to 3in in thickness. Tho belts of side armor extended for a length on each side of 230 ft and a depth of lift Gin, starting from the main dock and extending oft below the water line. The armor' belt was Gin in thickness throughout, and sin at the thwartship bulkheads. The conning towers in each case were 12in in thickness. Although the ships of the Cressy class were, until the advent of battlecruisers of the Dreadnought type, among the most powerful armored cruisers in the Royal Navy, and were really formidable vessels, they arc now comparatively slow ships. They were designed for -a speed of 20 knots, but they exceeded this on their trial trips—the Aboukir attaining 21.6 knots, the Cressy 20.79 knots, and the Hogue 22.6 knots. The six ships of this class have for some time past formed the Seventh Cruiser Squadron in the Third Fleet, stationed at the No re. All the ships of this fleet belonged to the older types and were manned by nucleus crews. They were mobilised for the Spithead review in July, and have been placed in full commission since the outbreak of war.