Duke of Edinburgh Class Cruiser (1904)

The two armoured cruisers of the Duke of Edinburgh Class were completed in 1906.

Name	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Pendant Numbers			Fate
					1914	January, 1918	April, 1918
Black Prince	T.I.W.		8 November, 1904		65			Sunk, 31 May, 1916
Duke of Edinburgh	Pembroke		11 June, 1904		15	58	N.33	Sold, 12 April, 1920

Armament

During the war, along with those of other older ships, the ten 6-inch guns casemated on the main deck proved of little use in practical sea states. It was decided to remove them, plate their ports over and move eight of them to the upper deck, with three each side between the 9.2-in turrets, and one each side on the forecastle. Low freeboard gave them marginal value even in the new locations.

Main Battery

The six 9.2-in guns were Mark X, mounted in Mk V S single mountings.

Secondary Battery

The original ten 6-in guns were Mark VII, probably mounted on P III or P IV mountings. Later, and seemingly before Jutland, two were removed and all remaining guns relocated to the upper deck. Even in the new positions, the low freeboard of these ships gave the guns limited value.

Torpedoes

In 1913, it was approved, as part of a general reallocation of 18-in torpedoes, to replace the torpedoes on Minotaur class (except Shannon), Duke of Edinburgh and Bristol classes with F III** torpedoes.

Fire Control

Evershed Bearing Indicators

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

Directors

In 1916, it was approved that the ships of this class should be retrofitted with directors as time, resources and opportunity permitted, but these plans were slow to execute. Duke of Edinburgh received one in October 1918, but Black Prince was likely lost before her equipment was ever ordered.^[Inference]

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables.

Fire Control Instruments

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

• Vickers range transmitters: 10
• Vickers deflection transmitters: 10
• Vickers combined range and deflection receivers: 33
• Vickers C.O.S.: 5
• Vickers Check fire switches: 10
• Barr and Stroud rate transmitters: 4
• Barr and Stroud rate receivers: 8
• Siemens turret fire gongs: 12 with 6 keys
• Vickers fire gongs: 10 with 4 keys
• Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 16 (16 in Duke of Edinburgh) with 1 key (supplier not stated)

As in the Minotaur class, bearing instruments were installed in or by 1915. The receivers in the four 9.2-in broadside guns and the 6-in officers' positions are operated in by transmitters in the TS for their side or by their respective master transmitters in the foretop. The two centre-line turrets are connected to a transmitter in the TS or to one of the master transmitters. The 6-in guns are worked om transmitters in the O.O.Q. position on that side. The overall bill of fare ran to:

• 2 special "master" bearing transmitters, Graham's type (in foretop, P&S)
• 6 Barr and Stroud bearing transmitters:
  • 2 in the O.O.Q.'s position, P & S
  • 2 in the foretop, P & S
  • 2 in the TS, P & S
• 23 Barr and Stroud bearing receivers:
  • 10 for the 6-in guns (1 each)
  • 6 for the 9.2-in guns (1 per turret)
  • 2 in the O.O.Q.'s position, P & S
  • 1 repeat in the fore TS
  • 2 repeats in the foretop
• Three C.O.S. (one in fore TS, and two in foretop)

These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Template:BibFriedmanBritishCruisersVictorian
• Template:BibUKTHVol4Part34
• 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
• Template:BibUKFireControlInHMShips1919