Challenger-class cruiser

Class overview
HMS Challenger
Name:	Challenger
Operators:	Royal Navy Royal Australian Navy
Preceded by:	Highflyer class
Succeeded by:	None
Built:	1900–05
In commission:	1904–29
Completed:	2
Scrapped:	2
General characteristics (as built)
Type:	Protected cruiser
Displacement:	5,880 long tons (5,970 t)
Length:	355 ft (108.2 m) (p/p)
Beam:	56 ft (17.1 m)
Draught:	21 ft 3 in (6.5 m)
Installed power:	12,500 ihp (9,300 kW) 18 water-tube boilers
Propulsion:	2 shafts, 2 Triple-expansion steam engines
Speed:	21 knots (38.9 km/h; 24.2 mph)
Complement:	490
Armament:	11 × BL 6-inch (152 mm) guns 9 × QF 12-pounder 12 cwt (3-inch) guns^{[Note 1]} 6 × QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns 2 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Deck: 1.5–3 in (38.1–76.2 mm) Gun shields: 3 in (76 mm) Conning tower: 6 in (152 mm)

The Challenger-class cruisers were a pair of second-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. One ship, HMS Encounter, was later transferred to the Royal Australian Navy.

Design and description

The Challenger-class cruisers were essentially repeats of the previous Highflyer class, albeit with more powerful propulsion machinery. They were designed to displace 5,880 long tons (5,970 t). The ships had a length between perpendiculars of 355 feet (108.2 m), a beam of 56 feet (17.1 m) and a draught of 21 feet 3 inches (6.5 m). Their crew consisted of 490 officers and other ranks.^[1]

The ships were powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by 18 Babcock & Wilcox (Challenger) or Dürr (Encounter) water-tube boilers. These boilers were heavier and bulkier, but more powerful than the Belleville boilers used in the Highflyer class. Sir William White, Director of Naval Construction, was uncertain if the extra power would offset the weight sufficiently to reach 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) and rated the ships at 20.75 knots (38.43 km/h; 23.88 mph). The boilers were designed to produce enough steam to allow the engines to reach 12,500 indicated horsepower (9,300 kW).^[2] The ships easily exceeded their designed power and speeds during their sea trials.^[3] They carried a maximum of 1,150 long tons (1,170 t) of coal.^[1]

The main armament of the Challenger class consisted of 11 quick-firing (QF) 6-inch (152 mm) Mk I guns.^[4] One gun was mounted on the forecastle and two others were positioned on the quarterdeck. The remaining eight guns were placed port and starboard amidships.^[5] They had a maximum range of approximately 10,000 yards (9,100 m) with their 100-pound (45 kg) shells.^[6] Eight QF 12-pounder 12 cwt guns were fitted for defence against torpedo boats. One additional 12-pounder 8 cwt gun could be dismounted for service ashore.^[1] They also carried six 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns and two submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.^[3]

The ships' protective deck armour ranged in thickness from 1.5 to 3 inches (38 to 76 mm). The engine hatches were protected by 5-inch (127 mm) of armour. The main guns were fitted with 3-inch gun shields and the conning tower had armour 6 inches thick.^[3]

Ships

HMS Challenger - Sold 1920
HMS Encounter - To Australia in 1912 as HMAS Encounter, renamed Penguin 1923, scuttled 1932.

Notes

↑ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.

Footnotes

1 2 3 Friedman 2012, p. 336
↑ Friedman, pp. 170–71, 334
1 2 3 Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 79
↑ Friedman 2011, p. 87
↑ Friedman 2012, p. 171
↑ Friedman 2011, pp. 87–88

Bibliography

Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
Corbett, Julian. Naval Operations to the Battle of the Falklands. History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents. I (2nd, reprint of the 1938 ed.). London and Nashville, Tennessee: Imperial War Museum and Battery Press. ISBN 0-89839-256-X.
Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-59114-068-9.
Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Challenger class cruiser.

Challenger-class cruisers

Royal Navy	Challenger Encounter

Royal Australian Navy	Encounter / Penguin

Preceded by: Highflyer class Followed by: Topaze class

List of cruisers of the Royal Navy List of cruisers of the Royal Australian Navy

British naval ship classes of the First World War

Aircraft/Seaplane carriers	Empress^S^V Riviera^S^V Engadine^S^V Ark Royal^S Ben-my-Chree^S^V Campania^S^V Raven II^S^V Anne^S^V Vindex^S^V Manxman^S^V Furious^M Pegasus^S^V Nairana^S^V Argus^S^V Vindictive^S^V

Dreadnought battleships	Dreadnought^S Bellerophon St Vincent Neptune^S Colossus Orion King George V Erin^S Agincourt^S Iron Duke Canada^S Queen Elizabeth Revenge

Pre-dreadnought battleships	Royal Sovereign Majestic Canopus Formidable Duncan King Edward VII Swiftsure Lord Nelson

Battlecruisers	Invincible Indefatigable Lion Queen Mary^S Tiger^S Renown Courageous Admiral^S^C Incomparable^X

Armoured cruisers	Cressy Drake Monmouth Devonshire Duke of Edinburgh Warrior Minotaur

Heavy cruisers	Hawkins

Light cruisers	Town^G Arethusa C^{G, C} Danae^C Emerald^A

Protected cruisers	Apollo Astraea Eclipse Blake Pearl Edgar Powerful Diadem Arrogant Pelorus Highflyer Challenger Topaze

Scout cruisers	Adventure Forward Pathfinder Sentinel Boadicea Blonde Active

Destroyer flotilla leaders	Swift^S Faulknor Marksman Parker Admiralty (or Scott)^C Thornycroft (or Shakespeare)^C

Destroyers	A^G B^G C^G D^G E^G F Cricket^G G H I K L Admiralty M Hawthorn M Thornycroft M Yarrow M Yarrow Later M R^G S^{G, C} Talisman V and W^{G, C}

Monitors	Marshal Ney Abercrombie Lord Clive Humber Gorgon M15 M29 Erebus

Minesweepers	Flower Racecourse Hunt 24^C

Gunboats	Fly Insect

Submarines	A B C D E F G H^C J K L^C M^C R^C Swordfish^S V

A All completed after the war C One or more completed after the war G Grouping of several classes M converted from Courageous class S Single ship of class V Conversions X Cancelled

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 3/6/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.