hms hms class armoured cruiser built royal_navy completion assigned mediterranean_fleet spent career returning home placed reserve recommissioned start world war played minor role bight weeks beginning war sunk german submarine sister ships september men complement died 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 class cruisers lead ship exceeded designed speed 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 inch torpedo tubes ship waterline armour belt ranged 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 construction service laid shipyard scotland november launched march arrived fitting completed early following year commissioned april captain ship assigned mediterranean_fleet commissioning left portsmouth early arriving malta later month deployments mediterranean reduced reserve returned home 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 fate morning september sisters patrol escorting destroyers forced seek shelter bad weather sisters 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 captain thought struck ordered ships close transfer wounded men quickly began listing capsized despite compartments opposite right time ordered abandon ship boat available smashed lowered steam available power boats approached sinking sister ship captain realized submarine attack signalled 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 watertight doors open sank attempted ram submarine hit resumed rescue efforts torpedoed took heavy list capsized sinking dutch ships began rescuing survivors joined british fishing ships arrived combined total ships men rescued officers enlisted men lost lost total men british government sold salvage rights ships german company subsequently sold dutch company began metal
HMS Aboukir (1900)