Powerful class cruiser

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The Powerful class were armoured cruisers built for the British Royal Navy in the 1890's. They were designed for hunting hunting down commerce raiders such as the Russian Armoured Cruiser Rurik and numerous French armoured cruisers of the era. The Powerfuls were large and expensive ships and were criticised for their apparently small armament. They had however excellent sea keeping and proved valuable as troop transports.

General Charecteristics

Displacement: 14200 tons deep load
Length: 500 ft
Beam: 71 ft
Draught: 27 ft
Machinery: 2 shafts, 4 cylinder VTE steam engines, 48 Bellville type water tube boilers, 25,000 hp
Speed: 22 knots
Range: 7000 nm at 14 knots, 3000 tons coal
Armament:
* 2 - 9.2 inch guns
* 12 - 6 inch guns
* 16 - 12 pdr guns
* 12 - 3 pdr guns
* 4 torpedo tubes
Armour: 2- 6 inch deck, 6 inch barbettes, 6 inch gun sheilds
Crew: 894

Ships

HMS Powerful - built by Vickers, Barrow in Furness, Laid down 1894, launched 24 July 1895, completed 8 June 1897, confined to subsidiary duties 1904, Scrapped 1929
HMS Terrible - built by J&G Thompson, Clydebank, laid down 1894, launched 27 May 1895, completed 24 March 1898, confined to subsidiary duties 1904, Scrapped 1932

Both ships served in the China Station and provided landing parties which fought in the relief of the Siege of Ladysmith in the Second Boer War. This event inspired the Field gun competition. Crews from the two ships also took part in supressing the Boxer Rebellion in China. After 1904 they were laid up as an economy measure. During World War I, they had most of their armament removed and served a troop transports and later accomodation ships.

Reference

Anthony Preston (naval historian) - World's Worst Warships, 2002 Conway's Maritime Press - ISBN 0 85177 754 6

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