hms class armoured cruisers built royal_navy decade 20th century assigned mediterranean_fleet completion transferred 2nd cruiser squadron assigned reserve fleet flagship 5th cruiser squadron reserve second fleet world war began august assigned search german commerce raiders protecting british shipping transferred months later assigned squadron destroyed battle assigned north_america west indies station continued patrol german raiders escort convoys end war training ship sold scrap design description designed displace long tons ship overall length feet inches beam feet inches deep draught feet powered cylinder triple expansion steam engines driving shaft produced total indicated horsepower gave maximum speed knots mph engines powered seventeen cylindrical boilers carried maximum long tons coal complement consisted officers enlisted men main armament consisted breech loading inch guns mounted single gun turrets fore aft superstructure guns 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 carried eighteen quick firing pounder hotchkiss guns submerged inch torpedo tubes pounder cwt guns service ashore point war main deck inch guns class ships moved upper deck given gun shields casemates improve pounder guns displaced transfer landed ship waterline armour belt ranged inches thickness closed inch transverse bulkheads armour gun turrets inches thick whilst barbettes inches thick protective deck armour ranged thickness inches conning tower protected inches armour construction service named commemorate laid shipyard october launched october completed initially assigned mediterranean_fleet transferred 2nd cruiser squadron june assigned reserve april ship transferred march subsequently flagship 5th cruiser squadron start world war participated fleet manoeuvres july august july july days war declared germany encountered german light cruiser english channel returning home ships war began august flagship gibraltar quickly sent cape_verde captured german merchant ship professor august escorted prize disposal resumed patrolling moved brazilian coast october proceeded squadron commanded vice admiral arrival port stanley december informed captains planned entire squadron following day available begin search believed running home tip south_america day vice admiral commander german squadron plans intended destroy radio station port stanley morning december appearance german ships caught ships surprise germans driven inch shells fired battleship came range completed squadron cleared harbour ordered general chase time manage knots mph fell british ships battlecruisers fastest ships present began close german cruisers opening fire light cruiser leipzig rear ship german formation clear ships battlecruisers hope ships survive turned armoured cruisers buy time engaging battlecruisers ordered light cruisers disperse nautical miles hope catching scattering german ships continued trail battlecruisers finally came range german armoured cruisers opened fire shortly rolled capsized engaged ordered cease fire german captain started ship minutes earlier clear situation hopeless ship sank rescued survivors wreckage visible later steamed area sunk battle participated hunt light cruiser dresden escaped battle investigated argentina chile island proceeding north brazil february struck coral reef archipelago february beached avoid sinking ship received temporary repairs rio_de_janeiro following month received permanent repairs montreal canada july escorted british class submarines halifax united_kingdom route devonport returned halifax based rest year assigned north_america resumed duties protecting british shipping rest war began serving cadet training ship remaining role listed sale march sold scrap november subsequently broken germany
HMS Carnarvon