class cruiser class ship class armoured cruisers built decade twentieth century royal_navy initially served home_fleet generally cruiser squadrons flagship defence served flagship 1st cruiser squadron mediterranean shannon remained home flagship different squadrons world war began august defence participated pursuit german ships sms hunted german commerce raiders pacific indian oceans shannon remained grand_fleet home_fleet renamed entire war present battle jutland defence sunk heavy loss life surviving pair spent rest war assigned unsuccessfully searching german warships commerce raiders scrapped war design description class ships armoured cruisers built royal_navy significantly larger heavily armed predecessors armour reduced attempt compensate additional weight armament design criticized weakness wide dispersal inch turrets length ship described naval historian cruiser editions lord nelson class battleship class displaced long tons built long tons deep load defence overall length feet beam feet inches mean draught feet shannon foot beam foot draught sister ships evaluate theory faster proportions sisters class displaced long tons feet inches longer overall foot broader beam predecessors duke edinburgh class normal load metacentric height feet deep load feet designed carry officers enlisted men mustered ships powered pair cylinder triple expansion steam engines driving shaft developed total indicated horsepower intended maximum speed knots mph engines powered water tube boilers working pressure psi kpa cm2 carried maximum long tons coal additional long tons fuel oil sprayed coal increase burn rate capacity ships steam nautical miles speed knots mph sea trials december designed speed reached knots ihp hour power test shannon proved slowest reached knots mph ihp trial days armament carried calibre inch guns compared earlier ships guns mounted twin powered turrets gave gun broadside guns elevation range fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range armour piercing shells rate fire guns rounds minute ships carried rounds gun secondary armament heavier older ships single powered turrets equipped calibre inch guns mounted guns depressed elevated shells maximum range pound projectiles fired muzzle velocity rounds minute gun provided rounds anti torpedo boat defence provided sixteen pounder cwt guns mounted tops inch gun turrets superstructure fore aft deck plan illustration fired inch pound projectiles muzzle velocity gave maximum range maximum elevation mounted submerged inch torpedo tubes broadside plus mounted stern armour armour class reduced compared earlier ships upper belt considered elimination main deck casemates eliminated transverse bulkheads connected waterline belt barbettes protected ships fire inch waterline armour belt krupp cemented armour extended past fore aft inch gun turrets lower edge feet waterline normal load forward armour inches feet bow reduced inches aft belt armour inches thick way stern addition engine cylinders protected armour plates inches thick faces primary gun turrets inches thick inch sides face armour inch turrets inches thick sides inches thick main barbettes protected seven inches armour ammunition armour inches lower main decks thickness lower deck ranged inches flat amidships inches slope connecting lower edge waterline belt length ship ends ship thickness deck armour increased inches sides forward conning tower inches thick rear conning tower inches thickness modifications funnels raised feet eliminate smoke interference bridge pounder fitted rear superstructure pounder quarterdeck guns high angle mounts anti aircraft defence reinforcing legs added foremast support weight fire control director shannon received director year year war reinforced foremast replaced stronger mast pounder moved forward turret ships careers sisters initially assigned home fleet commissioning shannon frequently serving flagship 5th 2nd flagship 2nd squadron flagship briefly joined defence transferred mediterranean end year serve flagship 1st cruiser squadron war began searched unsuccessfully pacific commerce raiding light cruiser indian_ocean transferred grand_fleet end flagship 7th assigned defence participated pursuit german battlecruiser light cruiser rear admiral decided engage powerful guns heavier armour faster speed blockaded german ships inside dardanelles admiralty ordered ship october join rear admiral squadron searching german ships defence reached november received word admiral squadron destroyed days previously battle ship ordered south_africa escort troop convoy great_britain defence departed table bay cape_town december rejoined 1st cruiser squadron grand_fleet flagship arrival early sisters assigned grand_fleet flagship respective squadrons battle jutland 2nd 7th combined flagship battle 2nd fire guns contrast 1st cruiser squadron engaged close range german capital ships battle defence hit german ships caused aft inch magazine explode resulting fire spread ammunition passages adjacent inch magazines detonated turn ship exploded loss men board men killed shannon present attempted interception high_seas_fleet grand_fleet august combat occurred rest war ships assigned december sisters destroyers assigned patrol convoy route norway germans successfully destroyed convoy norwegian coast following day returned home spotted british ships able rescue survivors escort sole surviving ship convoy crippled destroyer scapa_flow sisters paid shannon temporarily training ship sold scrap shannon actually broken january
Minotaur-class cruiser (1906)