View source for Cressy Class Cruiser (1899)

The six [[Armoured Cruiser|armoured cruisers]] of the '''''Cressy'' Class''' were completed between 1901 and 1904.

<div name=fredbot:ships>
{| class="wikitable collapsible" border=2 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="margin: 0 0 1em 0.5em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" align=center;
|-
! colspan=6 align=left|Overview of 6 vessels
|-
| colspan=6 align=left|<small>Citations for this data available on individual ship pages</small>
|-
! align=center | Name 
! align=center | Builder 
! align=center | Laid Down 
! align=center | Launched 
! align=center | Completed 
! align=center | Fate
|- align=left
| {{UK-Aboukir}}
|[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
|9 Nov, 1898
|16 May, 1900
|3 Apr, 1902
|Torpedoed 22 Sep, 1914
|- align=left
| {{UK-Bacchante}}
|[[John Brown & Company]]
|15 Feb, 1899
|21 Feb, 1901
|25 Nov, 1902
|Sold 1 Jul, 1920
|- align=left
| {{UK-Cressy}}
|[[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company]]
|12 Oct, 1898
|4 Dec, 1899
|28 May, 1901
|Torpedoed 22 Sep, 1914
|- align=left
| {{UK-Euryalus}}
|[[Vickers]]
|18 Jul, 1899
|20 May, 1901
|5 Jan, 1904
|Sold 1 Jul, 1920
|- align=left
| {{UK-Hogue}}
|[[Vickers|Vickers, Barrow]]
|14 Jul, 1898
|13 Aug, 1900
|19 Nov, 1902
|Torpedoed 22 Sep, 1914
|- align=left
| {{UK-Sutlej}}
|[[John Brown & Company]], Clydebank
|15 Aug, 1898
|18 Nov, 1899
|6 May, 1902
|Sold 9 May, 1921
|}
</div name=fredbot:ships>

==Origin==
In an important document dated 10 June, 1897, the Assistant Controller and Director of Naval Construction, [[William Henry White|Sir William H. White]] wrote: "The fundamental ideas on which this design is based, are as follows:&mdash;"

<blockquote>1. Special adaptation for service in with the Channel & Mediterranean Fleets; & the performance of all duties hitherto devolving on First Class Cruisers attached to Fleets.<br>
2. Capacity for <u>close action,</u> as adjuncts to battleships.<br>
3. Suitability for employment on detached services; if required to be used for the protection shipping, commerce & communications.<br>
4. Armament, protection, speed & coal endurance to be such that the new cruisers should be formidable rivals to the best cruisers built or building for foreign Navies.<ref>This section is based on and quoted from S.11584.  The National Archives.  ADM 116/446.  Unnumbered folios.</ref></blockquote>

White was influenced by a number of factors.  He had in the previous two years visited France, Italy, Germany and Russia, and had acquainted himself with naval construction in those countries.  The ''Cressy'' class, in his own words, "originated largely from what I found in progress in Italy in early 1895."  Italy had for financial reasons nearly suspended battleship construction and had instead started constructing cruisers which could, "when necessary, be associated with battle-ships, & take part in fleet-actions."  White noted that while, "for the Royal Navy there could be no question of the substitution of cruisers for battleships," he had decided "that the time had arrived when it had become necessary to construct cruisers for fleet-work, which should be capable of taking part in fleet-actions as adjuncts to battleships."

Having observed that cruisers took the historical duties of frigates, i.e. "scouts and attendants on the battle-ships" which "took no part in fleet-actions," he wrote that:

<blockquote>&hellip; there seems no absolutely no reason, under modern conditions, why first-class cruisers should hold aloof if designed & constructed suitably.  This has become true largely through improvements in armour & armaments made in the last few years & the point seems of sufficient importance to justify further illustration.<br><br>If cruisers are to be built capable of acting with battle-ships in fleet-actions, they must be given such <u>protection to buoyancy, stability, guns & crews</u>, as will enable them to come to <u>close quarters</u> with the enemy without running undue risks.<br><br>Until the latest improvements in armour were made, the thicknesses & weights necessary to secure adequate protection, over a sufficient area & height of broadside, were such as to involve very large dimensions & cost, when associated with the high speeds & large coal supplies of necessary in cruisers.  Consequently it may be said, with confidence, that no existing cruisers have the necessary protection to justify their undertaking close action with battle-ships, except it to be the Italian cruisers above mentioned & a few vessels similarly protected & of later date.</blockquote>

==Binoculars==
In September 1914, the ships were allowed four additional pairs of Pattern 343 Service Binoculars.{{AWO1914|331 of 8 Sep, 1914}}

==Searchlights==
In 1907, these ships, along with the [[Powerful Class Cruiser (1895)|''Powerful'']], [[Drake Class Cruiser (1901)|''Drake'']], [[Monmouth Class Cruiser (1901)|''Monmouth'']] and [[Devonshire Class Cruiser (1903)|''Devonshire'']] classes and battleships of the [[Majestic Class Battleship (1894)|''Majestic'']], [[Canopus Class Battleship (1897)|''Canopus'']], [[London Class Battleship (1899)|''London'']], and [[Duncan Class Battleship (1901)|''Duncan'']] classes, were to land their searchlights from their tops and obtain two additional 24-inch models from their dockyards for  placement on the shelter or boat deck. These were to be augmented by (or further upgraded to?) a pair of 36-in searchlights when they became available.{{ARTS1907|p. 35.  The location for each ship type was placement stipulated in C.N.2 11884/13066, 13.12.1906}}

==Armament==
During the war, along with those of other older ships, the eight 6-inch guns casemated on the main deck proved of little use in practical sea states.  All were removed and half relocated to the upper deck in spray shields.{{UKTHVol4Part36|p. 9-10}}

===9.2-in Guns===
This section is sourced in ''The Sight Manual, 1916'' except where noted.{{TheSightM|pp. 55, 105-6, 108, 110}}

This section is also pertinent to {{UK-KingAlfred}} and possibly also to {{UK-GoodHope}}.

* two 9.2-in Mark X guns in single Mark VI mountings fore and aft, able to elevate 13 degrees and depress 5 degrees.

The sights were gear-worked with a range gearing constant of 37.04, graduated to 13 degrees (14,400 yards at full charge) but only able to elevate to 12.5 degrees.  Range dials were provided for full charge at 2650 fps, reduced charge at 2150 fps, and 3-pdr sub-calibre and 1-in aiming rifle.  M.V. was corrected by adjustable pointer to +/- 75 fps.  The deflection was on a gearing constant of 77.95, 1 knot being 2.61 arc minutes, calibrated for 2643 fps at 5000 yards.

Drift was corrected by inclining the sight carrier 1.5 degrees.  The sight lines were 12 inches above the bore, and offset to 45 inches left and 37.5 inches right.

A "C" corrector was fitted, presumably also a temperature corrector.

105 rounds per gun.<ref>Form A.  {{TNA|ADM 116/446}}</ref>

===6-in Guns===
This section is generally sourced in ''The Sight Manual, 1916'' except as noted.{{TheSightM|pp 58, 105, 108, 110}}

The twelve 6-in B.L. guns Mark VII were arranged in single mountings on the broadsides.  The mountings may have possibly been P. III or P. IV of first or second series.

The eight guns on the main deck were later removed, with four being resited on the upper deck in spray shields.

100 rounds per gun, though room for 200 rounds per gun was provided.<ref>Form A.  {{TNA|ADM 116/446}}.</ref>

===Other Guns===
Some anti-torpedo boat guns and saluting guns.<ref>Form A.  {{TNA|ADM 116/446}}.</ref>
* fourteen 12-pdr Q.F. guns with 300 rounds per gun
* three 3-pdr Q.F. guns with 500 rounds per gun

===Torpedoes===
* two 18-in submerged broadside tubes forward, depressed three degrees and bearing abeam;  axis of tube was 7 foot 7.5 inches below load water line and 1 feet 6 inches above deck.{{UKTorpM1909III|p. 265}}

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==Fire Control==

===Rangefinders===

===Evershed Bearing Indicators===

===Gunnery Control===

====Control Positions====

====Control Groups====

===Directors===

====Main Battery====

====Secondary Battery====

===Torpedo Control===

===Transmitting Stations===
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===Dreyer Table===
These ships never received Dreyer tables.{{DreyerH|p. 3}}

===Fire Control Instruments===
By 1909, the 6 ships in this class were equipped with [[Vickers]] instruments for range, deflection and orders and with [[Barr and Stroud]] [[Range Rate|rate]] instruments:{{HFCI1909|pp. 56, 60}}
* Vickers range transmitters:  6
* Vickers deflection transmitters:  6
* Vickers combined range and deflection receivers: 23
* Vickers C.O.S.: 3
* Vickers Check fire switches: 6
* Barr and Stroud rate transmitters: 4 
* Barr and Stroud rate receivers: 8
* Siemens Fire Gongs (turrets): 4 with 2 keys
* Vickers Fire Gongs (elsewhere): 12 with 4 keys 
* Siemens Captain's Cease Fire Bells:  18 with 1 key

These ships lacked ''Target Visible'' and ''Gun Ready'' signals.{{HFCI1914|p. 11}}

==Radio==
In 1901, {{UK-Cressy}} with the China Squadron and {{UK-Aboukir}} in Reserve were listed as having or slated to receive a [[Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus Mark II|"1 to 52" W/T set]].{{ARTS1901|p. 112}}  Based on the push to deploy wireless in such units, it is likely that her sisters were completed with W/T or received them shortly thereafter.{{INF}}

==See Also==
{{WP|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cressy_class_cruiser}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* ''"Cressy Class".  Twin Screw Armoured Cruisers. Board approval of the design''  at {{TNA|ADM116/446}}.
*{{FriedmanBritishCruisersVictorian}}
*{{UKTHVol4Part34}}
*{{HFCI1909}}
*{{HFCI1914}}
*{{DirectorH}}
*{{DreyerH}}
{{refend}}

{{Footer Cressy Class Cruiser (1899)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cressy}}

{{CatClassArmouredCruiser|UK}}


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[[Category:Featured Ship Classes]]