Cressy Class Cruiser (1899)
The six armoured cruisers of the Cressy Class were completed between 1901 and 1904.
Origin
In a document dated 10 June, 1897, the Director of Naval Construction, William H. White wrote, "The fundamental ideas on which this design is based, are as follows:—"
- Special adaptation for service in with the Channel & Mediterranean Fleets; & the performance of all duties hitherto devolving on First Class Cruisers attached to Fleets.
- Capacity for close action, as adjuncts to battleships.
- Suitability for employment on detached services; if required to be used for the protection shipping, commerce & communications.
- 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.[1]
Fire Control
Rangefinders
Evershed Bearing Indicators
Gunnery Control
Control Positions
Control Groups
Directors
Main Battery
Secondary Battery
Torpedo Control
Transmitting Stations
Dreyer Table
These ships never received Dreyer tables.[2]
Fire Control Instruments
By 1909, the 6 ships in this class were equipped with Vickers, Son and Maxim instruments for range, deflection and orders and with Barr and Stroud rate instruments:[3]
- 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.[4]
Radio
In 1901, Cressy with the China Squadron and Aboukir in Reserve were listed as having or slated to receive a "1 to 52" W/T set.[5] 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.[Inference]
See Also
Footnotes
Bibliography
- 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:BibUKDirectorFiringHandbook1917
- Template:BibUKDreyerTableHandbook1918
