Arethusa-class cruiser (1913)
.jpg)
HMS Arethusa at speed
|
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Arethusa class |
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Active class |
| Succeeded by: | C class |
| In commission: | 1914–24 |
| Completed: | 8 |
| Lost: | 1 |
| Scrapped: | 7 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type: | Light cruiser |
| Displacement: | 3,512 long tons (3,568 t) |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | 39 ft (11.9 m) |
| Draught: | 15 ft 7 in (4.75 m) (mean, deep load) |
| Installed power: |
|
| Propulsion: | 4 × shafts; 4 × steam turbines |
| Speed: | 28.5 kn (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph) |
| Complement: | 270 |
| Armament: |
|
| Armour: |
|
The Arethusa-class cruisers were a class of eight oil-fired light cruisers of the Royal Navy all ordered in September 1912, primarily for service in the North Sea. They had three funnels with the middle one somewhat larger in diameter than the others. All served in the First World War. They were found to be very cramped internally.
The earlier scout cruisers were too slow to accomplish their intended duties of working with destroyer flotillas and defending the fleet against attacks by enemy destroyers. The primary emphasis of the Arethusa-class cruisers was a design speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), to allow them to lead destroyers in combat. In support of this goal, they were the first cruisers to use destroyer-type high-speed steam turbines and oil-fired boilers were chosen to save weight and increase their power to meet the specification. They retained the side protection introduced in the later ships of the previous Town class, but reverted to a mixed main armament that was a feature of the earlier ships of that class.
The ships were 456 feet 6 inches (139.1 m) long overall, with a beam of 49 feet 10 inches (15.2 m) and a deep draught of 15 feet 3 inches (4.6 m). Displacement was 5,185 long tons (5,268 t) at normal and 5,795 long tons (5,888 t) at full load. The Arethusa class were powered by four direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, which produced a total of 40,000 indicated horsepower (30,000 kW) and gave a speed of about 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph). The six ships that used Parsons turbines were equipped with cruising turbines on the outer shafts, but the two ships that used Brown-Curtis turbines were not so fitted. The turbines used steam generated by eight Yarrow boilers at a working pressure of 235 psi (1,620 kPa; 17 kgf/cm2). They carried 840 long tons (853 t) tons of fuel oil that gave the ships with cruising turbines a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) and 3,200 nmi (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) for those without, both at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph).
...
Wikipedia