Minotaur Class Cruiser (1906)

The three Armoured Cruisers of the Minotaur Class were completed in 1908 and 1909.

Fire Control

Dreyer Table

These ships had no Dreyer table.

Fire Control Instruments

The ships in this class varied in their instruments. By late 1914, Africa, Britannia, Dominion and Hibernia were equipped with instruments from Vickers, Son and Maxim paired with Barr and Stroud rate instruments.

In 1905, Commonwealth, Hindustan, King Edward VII and Zealandia were slated to be equipped with Barr and Stroud Mark I range and order instruments (the range instruments probably changed to Mark II before installation), and Vickers deflection instruments. However, by 1909, these 4 were apparently equipped entirely with Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment. I think it most likely that plans had changed before the ships received the earlier assortment of instruments.

The Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909 lists the Barr and Stroud Mark II equipment on this class as:

• Combined Range, Order, Deflection: 8 transmitters, 40 receivers
• Group Switches: 4
• Rate: 4 transmitters, 12 receivers
• Bearing: none
• Range: none

Additionally, this class had the following Siemens fire control equipment:

• Turret fire gongs: 26 with 8 keys
• Fire Gongs: 8 with 2 keys
• Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 16 with 1 key

None of the ships had Target Visible or Gun Ready signals.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

Template:BibConways1906-1921 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. Template:BibUKDreyerTableHandbook1918