List of Cruiser Classes of The Royal Navy - Protected Cruisers

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, 10-64pdr
    • Iris (1877)
    • Mercury (1878)
  • Comus class third class cruiser, 2,380 tons (Constance 2,590 tons), 2-7in + 12-64pdr (except Comus 4-6in + 8-64pdr; Canada & Cordelia 10-6in)
    • Comus (1878) - Sold 1904
    • Curacoa (1878) - Sold 1904
    • Champion (1878) - Sold 1919
    • Cleopatra (1878) - Sold 1931
    • Carysfort (1878) - Sold 1899
    • Conquest (1878) - Sold 1899
    • Constance (1880) - Sold 1899
    • Canada (1881) - Sold 1897
    • Cordelia (1881) - Sold 1904
  • 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
  • Calypso class third class cruiser, 2,770 tons, 4-6in + 12-5in.
    • Calliope (1884) - Sold 1951 (drill ship from 1907)
    • Calypso (1883) - Sold 1922
  • Surprise class third class cruiser, 1,700 tons, 4-5in
    • Surprise (1885)
    • Alacrity (1885)
  • 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
  • Scout class third class torpedo cruiser, 1,580 tons, 4-5in
    • Scout (1885)
    • Fearless (1886)
  • Archer class third class torpedo cruiser, 1,770 tons, 6-6in
    • Archer (1885)
    • Mohawk (1886)
    • Brisk (1886)
    • Porpoise (1886)
    • Cossack (1886)
    • Tartar (1886)
    • Serpent (1887)
    • Racoon (1887)
  • Marathon class second class cruiser, 2,850 tons, 6-6in
    • Medea (1888) - Sold 1914
    • Marathon (1888)
    • Magicienne (1888)
    • Medusa (1888) - Sold 1920
    • Melpomene (1888)
  • Barracouta class third class cruiser, 1,580 tons, 6-4.7in
    • Barracouta (1889)
    • Barrosa (1889)
    • Blanche (1889)
    • Blonde (1889)
  • Barham class third class cruiser, 1,830 tons, 6-4.7in
    • Barham (1889)
    • Bellona (1890)
  • 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 as HMAS Encounter, renamed Penguin 1923, scuttled 1932
  • Topaze class third class cruiser, 3,000 tons, 12-4in
    • Topaze (1903) - Sold 1921
    • Amethyst (1903) - Sold 1920
    • Diamond (1904) - Sold 1921
    • Sapphire (1904) - Sold 1921

Read more about this topic:  List Of Cruiser Classes Of The Royal Navy

Famous quotes containing the word protected:

    “When a girl’s under 21, she’s protected by law. When she’s over 65, she’s protected by nature. Anywhere in between—she’s fair game.”
    —Stanley Shapiro (1925–1990)