hms essex hms essex class armoured cruisers built royal_navy decade 20th century completion assigned 2nd cruiser squadron channel_fleet ship placed reserve march recommissioned service north_america west indies station essex returned home assigned training squadron home fleet refit following year rejoined 4th cruiser squadron early beginning world war august ship captured german following month essex spent half war atlantic_ocean escorting convoys searching german commerce raiders ship captured german reduced second line roles depot ship accommodation ship months later paid sold scrap years later design description designed protect british merchant shipping fast cruisers like class ships designed displace long tons overall length feet inches beam feet deep draught feet powered cylinder triple expansion steam engines driving shaft produced total indicated horsepower designed maximum speed knots mph essex failed meet designed speed engines powered belleville boilers carried maximum long tons coal complement consisted officers ratings class ships main armament consisted fourteen breech loading inch vii guns guns mounted twin gun turrets fore aft superstructure positioned casemates amidships mounted main deck usable calm weather maximum range approximately yards pound shells quick firing pounder inch cwt guns fitted defence torpedo boats essex carried pounder hotchkiss guns submerged inch torpedo tubes beginning main deck inch guns class ships moved upper deck given gun shields casemates improve pounder guns displaced transfer point war pair pounder anti aircraft guns installed upper deck waterline armour belt maximum thickness inches closed inch transverse bulkheads armour gun turrets barbettes inches thick casemates thickness inches protective deck armour ranged thickness inches conning tower protected inches armour construction service essex named commemorate english county laid royal dockyard wales january launched august christened wife dockyard ship completed march initially assigned 2nd cruiser squadron channel_fleet essex placed reserve march suffered inch gun explosion july training recommissioned september assigned 4th cruiser squadron north_america west indies station transferred refitted following year essex rejoined 4th cruiser squadron january commander command visiting jamaica ship arrived veracruz mexico february relieve sister ship suffolk protect british interests going weeks later visited galveston texas heading mexico arrived march essex spent days returning veracruz march mexican soldiers briefly detained american sailors buying gasoline ship april returned veracruz days later days americans began landing april satisfied mexican president ordered city occupied retribution major arms delivery forces resisted stray bullets hit essex day wounding man shot feet escorted ratings sent dispatches british minister mexico_city 26th returned days later rear admiral inspected ship crew essex sailed leaving mexican waters 14th month later ship visited canadian minister marine fisheries june following month essex ferried governor general canada duke newfoundland returning july world war received preliminary war warning july ordered essex join sister lancaster bermuda reached days later ship ordered patrol area north northwest protect british shipping destroy german commerce raiders germans appeared concentrating efforts caribbean ordered essex south reinforce forces early september september captured tender armed merchant cruiser der route halifax jamaica ship continued patrol caribbean_sea canadian waters end february escorted troop convoy ireland essex sailed began refit lasted april assigned 7th cruiser squadron grand_fleet spent weeks scapa_flow transferred began patrolling area azores rear admiral commander 9th cruiser squadron hoisted flag aboard ship september pulled 29th essex began brief refit gibraltar october lasted 26th resumed patrolling captured german ship resumed patrolling arrival devonport august essex paid days later later year recommissioned served destroyer depot ship devonport april essex accommodation ship december serving training ship reverted previous role accommodation ship essex paid october later sold scrap november broken germany
HMS Essex (1901)