Devonshire Class Cruiser (1903)

The six Armoured Cruisers of the Devonshire Class were completed in 1905. They were, along with the preceding Monmouth class, often referred to as "County Class" cruisers.

Overview of 6 vessels
Citations for this data available on individual ship pages
Name	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Completed	Fate
Antrim	John Brown & Company	27 Aug, 1902	8 Oct, 1903	23 Jun, 1905	Sold 19 Dec, 1922
Argyll	Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company	1 Sep, 1902	3 Mar, 1904	Dec, 1905	Sold
Carnarvon	William Beardmore & Company	1 Oct, 1902	7 Oct, 1903	29 May, 1905	Sold 8 Nov, 1921
Devonshire	Chatham Royal Dockyard	25 Mar, 1902	30 Apr, 1904	24 Aug, 1905	Sold 9 May, 1921
Hampshire	Armstrong, Whitworth & Company	1 Sep, 1902	24 Sep, 1903	15 Jul, 1905	Mined 5 Jun, 1916
Roxburgh	London & Glasgow	13 Jun, 1902	19 Jan, 1904	5 Sep, 1905	Sold 8 Nov, 1921

Binoculars

In September 1914, the ships were allowed four additional pairs of Pattern 343 Service Binoculars.

Searchlights

In 1907, these ships, along with the earlier Powerful, Drake, Cressy, and Monmouth classes and battleships of the Majestic, Canopus, London, and 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.

Armament

In early 1913, new pattern G. 329 trainer's telescopes of 2.5 power and 20 degree field were issued to these and many other capital ships, to replace the 5/12, 5/15 and 5/21 variable power G.S. telescopes that had previously been in use.

During the war, along with those of other older ships, the four 6-inch guns casemated on the main deck proved of little use in practical sea states. The two forward-most main deck guns were never even fitted as their issues were glaring. Two lower casemates aft were vacated and their guns put in spray shields on the upper deck abaft the 7.5-in turrets, sacrificing 3-pdr guns that were then in the way.^{[Fact Check]}

Main Battery

Four 7.5-in Mark I B.L. guns on Mark I mountings in single turrets, fore, aft, and on the beams.

Secondary Battery

The six 6-in guns were Mark VII, on P. III, P. III*, P. III S and/or P. IV mountings arranged in casemates, three on each broadside.

The sights were similar to those in Albemarle and Cornwall, but sturdier. Range gearing constant was 51.41 with one knot of deflection being 2.77 arc minutes. Range dials were provided for 2730 fps, 1970 fps, 3-pdr sub-caliber, 1-in aiming rifle and .303-in aiming rifle. MV correction by adjustable pointer for +/- 50 fps. Deflection dial graduated for 2730 fps at 3000 yards. Drift correction by inclining the sight 1.5 degrees. The sights were 14.45 inches above the bore and 13.1 inches to the side.

In February, 1913, these mountings, along with many other 4-in and 6-in mountings in various capital ships and cruisers were to have illumination added for their training index racers.

Torpedoes

• two 18-in submerged broadside tubes forward, depressed three degrees and bearing abeam; axis of tube was 7 foot 6 inches below load water line and 1 feet 6 inches above deck.

Fire Control

Evershed Bearing Indicators

It is unlikely that this equipment was ever provided.^[Inference]

Directors

These ships never received directors for main or secondary batteries.

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables.

Fire Control Instruments

By 1909, all 6 ships were equipped with Vickers instruments for range, deflection and orders and with Barr and Stroud rate instruments as follows:

• Vickers range transmitters: 6
• Vickers deflection transmitters: 6
• Vickers combined range and deflection receivers: 21
• Vickers C.O.S.: 3
• Vickers Check fire switches: 6
• Barr and Stroud rate transmitters: 4
• Barr and Stroud rate receivers: 8
• Siemens turret fire gongs: 8 with 4 keys
• Vickers fire gongs: 6 with 2 keys
• Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 12 with 1 key (supplier not stated)

These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.

In 1913, each ship was to receive six Officer of Quarters Range-Keeping Instruments.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591140684 (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
• McBride, Keith (1988). Grant, Ian. ed. "The First County Class Cruisers of the Royal Navy, Part II: The Devonshires". Warship (Volume XII, Issue 47): pp. 19-23.
• Admiralty, Technical History Section (1920). The Technical History and Index: Alteration in Armaments of H.M. Ships during the War. Vol. 4, Part 34. C.B. 1515 (34) now O.U. 6171/20. At The National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom.
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1910). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909. Copy No. 173 is Ja 345a at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1914). Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. G. 01627/14. C.B. 1030. Copy 1235 at The National Archives. ADM 186/191.
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1917). The Director Firing Handbook. O.U. 6125 (late C.B. 1259). Copy No. 322 at The National Archives. ADM 186/227.
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.