List of cruiser classes of the Royal Navy
This is a list of cruisers of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. There are currently no active ships.
Contents |
First class cruisers
Armoured cruisers were protected by a belt of side armour and an armoured deck. In the Royal Navy this classification was not actually used, the term first class cruiser being used instead for both armoured cruisers and large protected cruisers. Thus, the first class cruisers built between the Orlando class (1886) and the Cressy class (1897) were, strictly speaking, protected cruisers as they lacked an armored belt. The first class cruiser was succeeded by the Battlecruiser.
- Shannon first class armoured cruiser, (1875) 5,670 tons, 2-10in, 7-9in
- Nelson class first class armoured cruiser, 7,473 tons, 4-10in, 6-9in
- Nelson (1876) - Sold 1910
- Northumberland (1876) - Sold 1905
- Imperieuse class first class armoured cruiser, 8,500 tons, 4-9.2in, 10-6in
- Imperieuse (1883) - Sold 1913
- Warspite (1884) - Sold 1905
- Orlando class first class armoured cruiser, 5,600 tons, 2-9.2in, 10-6in
- Orlando (1886) - Sold 1905
- Australia (1886) - Sold 1905
- Undaunted (1886) - Sold 1907
- Narcissus (1886) - Sold 1906
- Galatea (1887) - Sold 1905
- Immortalité' (1887) - Sold 1907
- Aurora (1887) - Sold 1907
- Blake class first class protected cruiser, 9,150 tons, 2-9.2in, 10-6in
- Blake (1889) - Sold 1922
- Blenheim (1890) - Sold 1926
- Edgar class first class protected cruiser, 7,700 tons, 2-9.2in, 10-6in
- Powerful class first class protected cruiser, 14,200 tons, 2-9.2in, 12-6in
- Powerful (1895) - Sold 1929
- Terrible (1895) - Sold 1932
- Diadem class first class protected cruiser, 11,000 tons, 16-6in
- Diadem (1896)
- Niobe (1897) - To Canada as HMCS Niobe, BU 1922
- Europa (1897)
- Andromeda (1897)
- Amphitrite (1898)
- Argonaut (1898)
- Ariadne (1898)
- Spartiate (1898)
- Cressy class first class armoured cruiser, 12,000 tons, 2-9.2in, 12-6in
- Drake class first class armoured cruiser, 14,150 tons, 2-9.2in, 16-6in
- Drake (1901) - Torpedoed 1917
- Good Hope (ex-Africa) (1901) - Sunk during the Battle of Coronel, 1914
- King Alfred (1901) - Sold 1920
- Leviathan (1901) - Sold 1920
- Monmouth class first class armoured cruiser, 9,800 tons, 14-6in
- Devonshire class first class armoured cruiser, 10,850 tons, 4-7.5in, 6-6in
- Duke of Edinburgh class first class armoured cruiser,
- Duke of Edinburgh group 13,550 tons, 6-9.2in, 10-6in
- Duke of Edinburgh (1904) - Sold 1920
- Black Prince (1904) - Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916
- Warrior group 13,550 tons, 6-9.2in, 4-7.5in
- Warrior (1905) - Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916
- Cochrane (1905) - Wrecked 1918
- Achilles (1905) - Sold 1921
- Natal (1905) - Explosion 1915
- Duke of Edinburgh group 13,550 tons, 6-9.2in, 10-6in
- Minotaur class first class armoured cruiser, 14,600 tons, 4-9.2in, 10-7.5in
- Minotaur (1906) - Sold 1920
- Shannon (1906) - Sold 1922
- Defence (1907) - Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916
Protected cruisers
Protected cruisers were so-called because their vital machinery spaces were protected by an armoured deck and the arrangement of coal bunkers. The ships below are all protected cruisers, but were rated as second and third class cruisers by the Royal Navy. The third class cruiser was not expected to operate with the fleet, was substantially smaller than the second class and lacked the watertight double-bottom of the latter. With the advent of turbine machinery, oil firing and better armour plate the protected cruiser became obsolete and was succeeded by the light cruiser.
- Iris class second class cruiser, 3,730 tons, 13-5in
- Iris (1877)
- Mercury (1878)
- Leander class second class cruiser, 4,300 tons, 10-6in
- Leander (1882) - Sold 1920
- Amphion (1883) - Sold 1906
- Arethusa (1882) - Sold 1905
- Phaeton (1883) - Sold 1947
- Mersey class second class cruiser, 4,050 tons, 2-8in, 10-6in
- Mersey (1885) - Sold 1905
- Severn (1885) - Sold 1905
- Thames (1885) - Renamed General Botha, scuttled 1947
- Forth (1886) - Sold 1921
- Medea class third class cruiser, 2,850 tons, 6-6in
- Medea (1888) - Sold 1914
- Marathon (1888)
- Magicienne (1888)
- Medusa (1888) - Sold 1920
- Melpomene (1888)
- Apollo class second class cruiser, 3,400 tons, 2-6in, 6-4.7in
- Apollo (1891)
- Aeolus (1891)
- Andromache (1890)
- Brilliant (1891)
- Indefatigable (1891)
- Intrepid (1891) - Scuttled 1918
- Iphigenia (1891) - Scuttled 1918
- Latona (1890) - Sold 1920
- Melampus (1890) - Sold 1910
- Naiad (1890) - Sold 1922
- Pique (1890) - Sold 1911
- Rainbow (1891) - To Canada as HMCS Rainbow 1910
- Retribution (1891) - Sold 1911
- Sappho (1891) - Sold 1921
- Scylla (1891) - Sold 1914
- Sirius (1890) - Scuttled 1918
- Spartan (1891) - Renamed Defiance 1921, sold 1931
- Sybille (1890) - Wrecked 1901
- Terpsichore (1890) - Sold 1914
- Thetis (1890) - Scuttled 1918
- Tribune (1891) - Sold 1911
- Astraea class second class cruiser, 4,360 tons, 2-6in, 8-4.7in
- Astraea (1893) - Sold 1920
- Bonaventure (1892) - Sold 1920
- Cambrian (1893) - Sold 1923
- Charybdis (1893) - Sold 1922
- Flora (1893) - Renamed Indus II, sold 1922
- Forte (1893) - Sold 1914
- Fox (1893) - Sold 1920
- Hermione (1893) - Renamed Warspite, sold 1940
- Eclipse class second class cruiser, 5,600 tons, 5-6in, 6-4.7in
- Eclipse (1894)
- Diana (1895)
- Dido (1896) - Sold 1926
- Doris (1896) - Sold 1919
- Isis (1896)
- Juno (1895)
- Minerva (1895)
- Talbot (1895)
- Venus (1895)
- Pearl class third class cruiser, 2,575 tons, 8-4.7in
- Pallas (1890)
- Pandora (1889)
- Pearl (1890)
- Pelorus (1889)
- Persian (1890)
- Philomel (1890)
- Phoebe (1890)
- Phoenix (1889)
- Psyche (1889)
- Arrogant class second class cruiser, 5,750 tons, 4-6in, 6-4.7in
- Arrogant (1896) - Sold 1923
- Furious (1896) - Renamed Forte 1915, sold 1923
- Gladiator (1896) - Collision 1908, refloated, sold 1909
- Vindictive (1897) - Scuttled 1918
- Pelorus class third class cruiser, 2,135 tons, 8-4in
- Pelorus (1896)
- Pactolus (1896)
- Proserpine (1896)
- Pegasus (1897) - Sunk 1914
- Perseus (1897)
- Pomone (1897)
- Pyramus (1897)
- Psyche (1898) - To Australia 1915
- Prometheus (1898)
- Pioneer (1899) - To Australia 1912, scuttled 1931
- Pandora (1900)
- Highflyer class second class cruiser, 5,650 tons, 11-6in
- Highflyer (1898) - Sold 1921
- Hermes (1898) - Torpedoed 1914
- Hyacinth (1898) - Sold 1923
- Challenger class second class cruiser, 5,880 tons, 11-6in
- Challenger (1902) - Sold 1920
- Encounter (1902) - To Australia 1912, renamed Penguin 1923, scuttled 1932
- Topaze class third class cruiser, class 3,000 tons
- Topaze (1903) - Sold 1921
- Amethyst (1903) - Sold 1920
- Diamond (1904) - Sold 1921
- Sapphire (1904) - Sold 1921
Scout cruisers
The scout cruiser was a smaller, faster, more lightly armed and armoured cruiser than the protected cruiser, intended for fleet scouting duties and acting as a flotilla leader. The advent of better machinery and larger, faster destroyers and light cruisers effectively made them obsolete.
- Adventure class 2,640 tons, 10-12pdr
- Adventure (1904) - Sold 1920
- Attentive (1904) - Sold 1920
- Forward class 2,860 tons, 10-12pdr
- Forward(1904) - Sold 1921
- Foresight (1904) - Sold 1920
- Pathfinder class 2,900 tons, 10-12pdr
- Pathfinder (1904) - Torpedoed 1914
- Patrol (1904) - Sold 1920
- Sentinel class 2,880 tons, 10-12pdr
- Sentinel (1904) - Sold 1923
- Skirmisher (1905) - Sold 1920
- Boadicea class 3,300 tons, 6-4in
- Boadicea (1909)
- Bellona (1910)
- Blonde class 3,350 tons, 10-4in
- Blonde (1910)
- Blanche (1911)
- Active class 3,440 tons, 10-4in
- Active (1911)
- Amphion (1912)
- Fearless (1913)
Light cruisers
The light cruiser succeeded the protected cruiser, as improvements in machinery and armour had made the latter obsolete. The Town class were rated as second class protected cruisers, but were effectively light cruisers with mixed coal and oil firing. The Arethusa class were the first oil-only fired class which meant that the cruiser could no longer rely on the arrangement of coal bunkers in the hull as protection and adopted destroyer machinery for a higher top speed, making them the first true light cruisers. In the London Naval Treaty of 1930, light cruisers were defined as cruisers having guns of 6.1 inch (155 mm) calibre or less, with a displacement not exceeding 10,000 tons.
- Town class
- Bristol group 4,800 tons, 2-6in, 10-4in
- Weymouth group 5,250 tons, 8-6in
- Weymouth (1911)
- Dartmouth (1911)
- Falmouth (1911)
- Yarmouth (1912)
- Chatham group 5,400 tons, 8-6in
- Chatham (1912)
- Dublin (1913)
- Southampton (1912)
- Brisbane (1916)
- Melbourne (1913)
- Sydney (1913)
- Birmingham group 5,440 tons, 9-6in
- Birmingham (1914)
- Lowestoft (1914)
- Nottingham (1914)
- Adelaide (1922)
- Birkenhead group 5,185 tons, 10-5.5in
- Birkenhead (1915)
- Chester (1916)
- Arethusa class, 3,750 tons, 6-in, 6-4in
- C class
- Caroline group 4,219 tons, 2-6in, 8-4in
- Calliope group 4,228 tons, 2-6in, 8-4in
- Calliope (1914)
- Champion (1915)
- Cambrian group 4,320 tons, 2-6in, 8-4in
- Cambrian (1916)
- Canterbury (1915)
- Castor (1915)
- Constance (1915)
- Centaur group 4,165 tons, 5-6in
- Centaur (1916)
- Concord (1916)
- Caledon group 4,180 tons, 5-6in
- Caledon (1916)
- Calypso (1917)
- Cassandra (1916) - mined 1919
- Caradoc (1916)
- Ceres group 4,190 tons, 5-6in
- Carlisle group 4,290 tons, 5-6in
- Cairo (1918)
- Calcutta (1919)
- Capetown (1919)
- Carlisle (1918)
- Colombo (1918)
- Danae class 4,850 tons, 6-6in
- Emerald class 7,580 tons, 7-6in
- Emerald (1926)
- Enterprise (1926)
- Leander class
- Leander group 7,200 tons, 8-6in
- Amphion group 6,900 tons, 8-6in
- Arethusa class 5,220 tons, 6-6in
- Town class
- Southampton group 9,100 tons, 12-6in
- Southampton (1937)
- Birmingham (1937)
- Glasgow (1937)
- Newcastle (1937)
- Sheffield (1937)
- Gloucester group 9,400 tons, 12-6in
- Gloucester (1939)
- Liverpool (1938)
- Manchester (1938)
- Edinburgh group 10,565 tons, 12-6-in
- Southampton group 9,100 tons, 12-6in
- Dido class
- Dido group 5,600 tons, 10-5.25in
- Bellona group 5,770 tons, 8-5.25in
- Bellona (1943) - to Royal New Zealand Navy 1956
- Black Prince (1943) - to RNZN 1948
- Diadem (1943) - to Pakistan 1956 as Babur
- Royalist (1943) - to RNZN 1956
- Spartan (1943) - bombed 1944
- Crown Colony class
- Fiji group 8,525 tons, 12-6in
- Ceylon group 8,875 tons, 9-6in
- Ceylon (1943)
- Newfoundland (1943)
- Uganda (1943) - to Royal Canadian Navy as Quebec 1944
- Minotaur class 8,800 tons, 9-6in
- Tiger class 11,700 tons, 4-6in, 6-3in
Heavy cruisers
The heavy cruiser was defined in the London Naval Treaty of 1930 as a cruiser with a main gun calibre not exceeding 8 inches. The earlier Hawkins class were therefore retrospectively classified as such, although they had been initially built as "improved light cruisers".
- Cavendish or Hawkins class 9,860 tons, 7-7.5in
- County class, 8-8in
- Kent group 10,570 tons
- London group 9,830 tons
- London (1929) - scrapped 1950
- Devonshire (1929) - scrapped 1954
- Shropshire (1929) - to Royal Australian Navy 1943, scrapped 1955
- Sussex (1929) - scrapped 1950
- Norfolk group 10,300 tons
- Norfolk (1930) - scrapped 1950
- Dorsetshire (1930) - bombed 1942
- York class 8,250 tons, 6-8in
Large light cruisers
The "large light cruisers" were a pet project of Admiral Fisher to operate in shallow Baltic Sea waters and they are often classed as a form of battlecruiser.
- Glorious class
- Glorious group 19,320 tons, 4-15in, 18-4in
- Glorious (1916) - converted to aircraft carrier 1924-1930
- Courageous (1916) - converted to aircraft carrier 1924-1928
- Furious group 19,513 tons, 2-18in, 11-5.5in
- Furious (1917) - completed as aircraft carrier
- Glorious group 19,320 tons, 4-15in, 18-4in
See also
Categories
Lists of Royal Navy ships, by type | Lists of cruisers