Devonshire-class cruiser (1903)

	HMS Antrim at anchor
Class overview
Name	Devonshire class
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Monmouth class
Succeeded by	Duke of Edinburgh class
Built	1902–1905
In commission	1905–1922
Completed	6
Lost	2
Scrapped	4
General characteristics
Type	Armoured cruiser
Displacement	10,850 long tons (11,020 t) (normal)
Length	473 ft 6 in (144.3 m) (o/a)
Beam	68 ft 6 in (20.9 m)
Draught	24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power	21,000 ihp (16,000 kW); 17 Yarrow boilers; 6 cylindrical boilers ;
Propulsion	2 × Shafts; 2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines ;
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Complement	610
Armament	4 × single BL 7.5-inch (191 mm) Mk I guns ; 6 × single BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk VII guns ; 2 × single 12-pounder (3-inch, 76 mm) 8 cwt guns ; 18 × single QF 3-pounder (47 mm) Hotchkiss guns ; 2 × single 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes ;
Armour	Belt: 2–6 in (51–152 mm); Decks: .75–2 in (19–51 mm); Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm); Turrets: 5 in (130 mm); Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm); Bulkheads: 5 in (127 mm);

Last updated November 17, 2023

The Devonshire-class cruiser was a group of six armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. All ships of the class served in World War I. Argyll was wrecked, and Hampshire was sunk by a naval mine. The four survivors were disposed of soon after the war.

Design and description

The Devonshire class was designed as improved versions of the preceding Monmouth class and were also intended for commerce protection. The armament of the new design was made more powerful by the replacement of the twin six-inch (152 mm) turrets and the forward double six-inch casemates by four 7.5-inch (190 mm) single turrets in a diamond arrangement.^[1] The ships were designed to displace 10,850 long tons (11,020 t). They had an overall length of 473 feet 6 inches (144.3 m), a beam of 68 feet 6 inches (20.9 m) and a deep draught of 24 feet (7.3 m). The Devonshire-class ships were powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, which produced a total of 21,000 indicated horsepower (16,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). The engines were powered by seventeen Yarrow and six cylindrical boilers.^[2] They carried a maximum of 1,033 long tons (1,050 t) of coal and their complement consisted of 610 officers and other ranks.^[3]

The main armament of the Devonshire class consisted of four breech-loading (BL) 7.5-inch Mk I guns mounted in four single-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of the superstructure and one on each side.^[1] The guns fired their 200-pound (91 kg) shells to a range of about 13,800 yards (12,600 m).^[4] Their secondary armament of six BL 6-inch Mk VII guns was arranged in casemates amidships. Four of these were mounted on the main deck and were only usable in calm weather.^[5] They had a maximum range of approximately 12,200 yards (11,200 m) with their 100-pound (45 kg) shells.^[6] The ships also carried 18 quick-firing (QF) 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns and two submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.^[2] Her two 12-pounder 8-cwt guns could be dismounted for service ashore.^[1]

At some point in the war, the main deck six-inch guns of the Devonshire-class ships were moved to the upper deck and given gun shields. Their casemates were plated over to improve seakeeping and the four 3-pounder guns displaced by the transfer were landed.^[7]

The ships' waterline armour belt had a maximum thickness of six inches (152 mm) and was closed off by five-inch (127 mm) transverse bulkheads. The armour of the gun turrets was also five inches thick whilst that of their barbettes was six inches thick. The protective deck armour ranged in thickness from .75–2 inches (19–51 mm) and the conning tower was protected by twelve inches (305 mm) of armour.^[2]

Ships

Antrim, launched on 8 October 1903, sold for breaking up on 19 December 1922.
Argyll, launched on 3 March 1904, wrecked on 28 October 1915.
Carnarvon, launched on 7 October 1903, sold for breaking up on 8 November 1921.
Devonshire, launched on 30 April 1904, sold for breaking up on 9 May 1921.
Hampshire, launched on 4 September 1903, sunk by a naval mine on 5 June 1916.
Roxburgh, launched on 19 January 1904, sold on 8 November 1921.

Building Programme

The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the members of the Devonshire class. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. The 1905 edition costs were compiled before the ships were complete.

Construction data
Ship	Builder	Date of			Cost according to
Ship	Builder	Laid down	Launch	Completion	(BNA 1905)^[8]	(BNA 1906)^[9]
Devonshire	HM Dockyard, Chatham	25 Mar 1902	30 Apr 1904	24 Aug 1905	£900,792 ***	£818,167
Antrim	John Brown, Clydebank	27 Aug 1902	8 Oct 1903	23 Jun 1905	£899,050 ***	£873,625
Argyll	Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering, Greenock	1 Sep 1902	3 Mar 1904	December 1905	£912,588 ***	£873,598
Carnarvon	William Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir	1 Oct 1902	17 Oct 1903	29 May 1905	£899,465 ***	£858,130
Hampshire	Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick	1 Sep 1902	24 Sep 1903	15 Jul 1905	£872,327 ***	£833,817
Roxburgh	London & Glasgow Shipbuilding, Govan	13 Jun 1902	9 Jan 1904	5 Sep 1905	£866,199 ***	£829,327

*** = cost published by Brassey before the ship was complete, i.e. the total cost may have been more than this.

Notes

↑ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 12 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.

Footnotes

1 2 3 Friedman 2012, p. 256
1 2 3 Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 71
↑ Friedman 2012, p. 336
↑ Friedman 2011, pp. 75–76
↑ Friedman 2012, pp. 256, 260–61
↑ Friedman 2011, pp. 80–81
↑ Friedman 2012, p. 280
↑ Brassey's Naval Annual 1905, pp. 234–43
↑ Brassey's Naval Annual 1906, pp. 208–15

Bibliography

Brassey, T.A. (ed)The Naval Annual 1905
Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905 . Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
Corbett, Julian. Naval Operations to the Battle of the Falklands. History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents. Vol. I (2nd, reprint of the 1938 ed.). London and Nashville, Tennessee: Imperial War Museum and Battery Press. ISBN 0-89839-256-X.
Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-59114-068-9.
Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
Leyland, J. and Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's Naval Annual|The Naval Annual 1906
Massie, Robert K. (2004). Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 0-224-04092-8.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.

External links

The Dreadnought Project Technical details of the ships.

Related Research Articles

HMS Hampshire was one of six Devonshire-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion. After a refit, she was assigned to the reserve Third Fleet in 1909 before going to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1911. She was transferred to the China Station in 1912 and remained there until the start of the First World War in August 1914.

HMS Carnarvon was one of six Devonshire-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet upon completion in 1905 and was transferred to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in 1907. She was assigned to the reserve Third Fleet in 1909 and became flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron of the reserve Second Fleet in 1912.

HMS Argyll was one of six Devonshire-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion and was transferred to the 5th Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in 1909. Two years later, she was detached to escort the royal yacht during King George V's trip to British India. Argyll was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the reserve Second Fleet in 1913.

HMS Bacchante was a Cressy-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy around 1900. Upon completion she was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet as flagship of the fleet's cruiser squadron. She was reduced to reserve upon her return home in 1905 before returning to the Mediterranean in 1906. Six years later she returned home and was again placed in reserve. Recommissioned at the start of World War I, Bacchante became flagship of the 7th Cruiser Squadron. She was present at the Battle of Heligoland Bight a few weeks after the war began, but saw no combat.

The Drake class was a four-ship class of armoured cruisers built around 1900 for the Royal Navy.

<i>Powerful</i>-class cruiser Class of British protected cruisers

The Powerful class were a pair of first-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the 1890s, designed to hunt down enemy commerce raiders. Both ships served on the China Station and participated in the Second Boer War of 1899–1900. Terrible went on to help suppress the Boxer Rebellion a few months later. Powerful served as the flagship of the Australia Station in 1905–1912; shortly after her return home, she became a training ship and remained in that role until she was sold for scrap in 1929. Terrible was mostly in reserve after she returned home in 1902 and was often used as an accommodation ship. During the First World War she was disarmed and made one voyage as a troop transport in 1915. The ship became a depot ship when she returned home and then became a training ship in 1918. Terrible was sold for scrap in 1932.

HMS Suffolk was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Upon completion she was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet and was then assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean in 1909 after a lengthy refit. She returned home for another refit in 1912 and became the flagship of the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station in 1913.

HMS Hogue was a Cressy-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy around 1900. Upon completion she was assigned to the Channel Fleet and the China Station. In 1906 she became a training ship for the North America and West Indies Station before being placed in reserve in 1908. Recommissioned at the start of World War I, she played a minor role in the Battle of Heligoland Bight a few weeks after the beginning of the war. Hogue was sunk by the German submarine U-9, together with two of her sister ships, on 22 September 1914.

The Highflyer-class cruisers were a group of three second-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the late 1890s.

HMS Sutlej was a Cressy-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy around 1900. Upon completion she was assigned to the China Station. In 1906 she became a training ship for the North America and West Indies Station before returning home and being assigned as the flagship of the reserve Third Fleet in 1909. Relieved as flagship in 1910, she remained in reserve until the beginning of World War I in August 1914.

HMS Euryalus was a Cressy-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy around 1900. Badly damaged by multiple accidents while fitting out, she was not completed until 1904. She became flagship of the Australia Station that year and was reduced to reserve upon her return in 1905. Recommissioned in 1906, she became a training ship for the North America and West Indies Station before being placed in reserve with the Third Fleet in 1909.

HMS Leviathan was one of four Drake-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy around 1900. She was assigned to the China Station upon completion and then served in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1905–06. She was assigned to the 7th Cruiser Squadron in 1907 before she was briefly reduced to reserve. Leviathan was recommissioned in 1909 for service with the 4th Cruiser Squadron before she was placed in reserve in 1913.

HMS Berwick was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion in 1903 and was transferred to the Home Fleet in 1906. She accidentally rammed and sank a British destroyer in 1908. Berwick was refitted in 1908–09 before she was transferred to the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station later that year.

HMS Cumberland was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion in 1903. After a refit in 1907–1908 she became a training ship in the Home Fleet. She was sent to West Africa after the beginning of World War I in August 1914 and captured 10 German merchant ships in September. Cumberland spent the rest of the war on convoy escort duties and patrolling for German commerce raiders. She was sold for scrap in 1921 and broken up two years later.

HMS Donegal was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was initially assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron upon completion in 1903 and ran aground en route to the China Station in 1906. She was briefly placed in reserve after repairs before she was assigned to the Home Fleet in 1907. She joined the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station in 1909 before returning home for an assignment with the Training Squadron in 1912. Donegal was reduced to reserve before World War I began in August 1914 as part of the Third Fleet

HMS Lancaster was one of 10 Monmouth-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Upon completion she was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. She remained there until 1912 when she returned home to be placed in reserve. The ship was recommissioned in 1913 for service with the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station. She remained there until she was assigned to the Grand Fleet in 1915. She was transferred to the Pacific in 1916 and she became flagship of the Eastern Squadron in 1918. The ship was sold for scrap in 1920.

HMS Devonshire was the lead ship of her class of six armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion in 1905 and was transferred to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in 1907. She was assigned to the reserve Third Fleet in 1909 and then to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the reserve Second Fleet in 1913.

HMS Antrim was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion in 1905 and was transferred to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in 1907. She was assigned to the reserve Third Fleet in 1909 and then became flagship of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the reserve Second Fleet in 1913.

HMS Roxburgh was one of six Devonshire-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She was assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Channel Fleet upon completion and was transferred to the reserve Third Fleet in 1909. She was then assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron of the reserve Second Fleet in 1912 and the 3rd Cruiser Squadron the following year.

HMS <i>Powerful</i> (1895) British lead ship of Powerful-class

HMS Powerful was the lead ship of her class of two protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the 1890s. She was initially assigned to the China Station and then provided landing parties which fought in the Siege of Ladysmith of 1899–1900 during the Second Boer War. After a lengthy refit, the ship was placed in reserve until 1905 when Powerful became the flagship of the Australia Station. Upon her return home in 1912, she was again reduced to reserve for a brief time before she was reclassified as a training ship. The ship remained in this role until 1929 when she was sold for scrap.

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[1] "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 12 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.

[f56-2] 1 2 3 Friedman 2012, p. 256

[ck8-3] 1 2 3 Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 71

[f6-4] Friedman 2012, p. 336

[5] Friedman 2011, pp. 75–76

[6] Friedman 2012, pp. 256, 260–61

[7] Friedman 2011, pp. 80–81

[8] Friedman 2012, p. 280

[9] Brassey's Naval Annual 1905, pp. 234–43

[10] Brassey's Naval Annual 1906, pp. 208–15

[Note 1]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

Devonshire-class cruisers
Antrim Argyll Carnarvon Devonshire Hampshire Roxburgh
Preceded by: Monmouth class Followed by: Duke of Edinburgh class
List of cruisers of the Royal Navy

v t e British naval ship classes of the First World War
Aircraft/Seaplane carriers	Empress ^S^V Riviera ^S^V Engadine ^S^V Ark Royal ^S Ben-my-Chree ^S^V Campania ^S^V Raven II ^S^V Anne ^S^V Vindex ^S^V Manxman ^S^V Furious ^M Pegasus ^S^V Nairana ^S^V Argus ^S^V Vindictive ^S^V
Dreadnought battleships	Dreadnought ^S Bellerophon St Vincent Neptune ^S Colossus Orion King George V Erin ^S Agincourt ^S Iron Duke Canada ^S Queen Elizabeth Revenge
Pre-dreadnought battleships	Royal Sovereign Majestic Canopus Formidable London Duncan King Edward VII Swiftsure Lord Nelson
Battlecruisers	Invincible Indefatigable Lion Queen Mary ^S Tiger ^S Renown Courageous Admiral ^S^A
Armoured cruisers	Cressy Drake Monmouth Devonshire Duke of Edinburgh Warrior Minotaur
Heavy cruisers	Hawkins ^A
Light cruisers	Town ^G Arethusa C ^G^C Danae ^C Emerald ^A
Protected cruisers	Apollo Astraea Eclipse Blake Pearl Edgar Powerful Diadem Arrogant Pelorus Highflyer Challenger Topaze
Scout cruisers	Adventure Forward Pathfinder Sentinel Boadicea Blonde Active
Destroyer flotilla leaders	Swift ^S Faulknor Marksman Parker Thornycroft (or Shakespeare) ^C Admiralty (or Scott) ^C
Destroyers	A ^G B ^G C ^G D ^G E ^G F G H I K L Admiralty M Hawthorn M Thornycroft M Yarrow M Yarrow Later M Medea Arno ^S R ^G S ^G^C Talisman V and W ^G^C
Torpedo boats	TB 81 ^S TB 98 TB 109 TB 114 Cricket ^G
Monitors	Marshal Ney Abercrombie Lord Clive Humber Gorgon M15 M29 Erebus
Minesweepers	Racecourse Hunt Dance
Gunboats	Fly Insect
Submarines	A B C D E F G H ^C J K L ^C M ^C R ^C Swordfish ^S V
Sloops	P Cadmus Flower Acacia Azalea Arabis Anchusa Aubrietia 24 ^C
A All completed after the war C One or more completed after the war G Grouping of several classes M converted from Courageous class S Single ship of class V Conversions X Cancelled

Class overview
HMS Antrim at anchor
Name	Devonshire class
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Monmouth class
Succeeded by	Duke of Edinburgh class
Built	1902–1905
In commission	1905–1922
Completed	6
Lost	2
Scrapped	4
General characteristics
Type	Armoured cruiser
Displacement	10,850 long tons (11,020 t) (normal)
Length	473 ft 6 in (144.3 m) (o/a)
Beam	68 ft 6 in (20.9 m)
Draught	24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power	21,000 ihp (16,000 kW) 17 Yarrow boilers; 6 cylindrical boilers
Propulsion	2 × Shafts 2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Complement	610
Armament	4 × single BL 7.5-inch (191 mm) Mk I guns 6 × single BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk VII guns 2 × single 12-pounder (3-inch, 76 mm) 8 cwt guns ^{[Note 1]} 18 × single QF 3-pounder (47 mm) Hotchkiss guns 2 × single 18-inch (45 cm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 2–6 in (51–152 mm) Decks: .75–2 in (19–51 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm) Turrets: 5 in (130 mm) Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm) Bulkheads: 5 in (127 mm)