hms class armoured cruiser built royal_navy completion assigned transferred north_america west indies station placed reserve recommissioned start world war played minor role bight weeks beginning war sister ships torpedoed sunk german submarine september loss crew design description designed displace long tons ship overall length feet beam feet inches deep draught feet inches powered cylinder triple expansion steam engines driving shaft produced total indicated horsepower gave maximum speed knots mph engines powered belleville boilers sea trials reached knots mph slowest performance class carried maximum long tons coal complement ranged officers enlisted men main armament consisted breech loading inch guns single gun turrets fore aft superstructure fired pound shells range yards secondary armament inch vii guns arranged casemates amidships mounted main deck usable calm weather maximum range approximately yards pound shells dozen quick firing pounder cwt guns fitted defence torpedo boats casemates upper deck superstructure ship carried pounder hotchkiss guns submerged torpedo tubes ship waterline armour belt maximum thickness inches closed inch transverse bulkheads armour gun turrets barbettes inches thick armour inches thick protective deck armour ranged thickness inches conning tower protected inches armour service history named laid shipyard scotland october launched december finishing sea trials passed fleet reserve portsmouth commissioned captain service departure delayed months steering gear broke shortly leaving base return eventually left home waters early october arriving november singapore november assigned north_america west indies station placed reserve return home ship assigned 7th shortly outbreak world war august squadron tasked patrolling broad north_sea support force destroyers submarines based protected eastern end english channel german warships attempting attack supply route england france august ship reserve dutch coast saw action battle rear admiral ordered aboard german survivors badly damaged ships escorted sister set sail prisoners fate morning september sisters patrol escorting destroyers forced seek shelter bad weather sisters steaming line abreast yards apart speed knots mph expecting submarine attack posted gun manned attack submarines sighted weather earlier morning route reinforce cruisers destroyers commanded ordered attack british transports forced dive shelter storm spotted british ships moved attack fired torpedo struck starboard ship captain thought struck ordered ships close transfer wounded men quickly began listing capsized despite compartments opposite right approached sinking sister captain realized submarine attack signaled look ship continued close crew threw overboard float aid survivors water having stopped lowered boats struck torpedoes sudden weight loss torpedoes caused surface gunners opened fire effect submarine cruiser capsized minutes torpedoed sank attempted ram submarine succeed resumed rescue efforts torpedoed fired torpedoes stern tubes hit maneuver bring bow torpedo fired range yards torpedo struck port boilers men compartment sisters took heavy list capsized sinking dutch ships began rescuing survivors joined british fishing ships arrived ships men rescued officers enlisted men lost lost british government sold salvage rights ships german company subsequently sold dutch company began metal
HMS Cressy (1899)