The Boadicea-class cruiser was a pair of scout cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. They were the first class of this type to be fitted with steam turbine machinery. Upon completion in 1909–10, the sister ships served as flotilla leaders for destroyer flotillas of the First Fleet until 1913 when they were assigned to battleshipsquadrons. When the First World War began in August 1914, they remained with their squadrons as the First Fleet was incorporated into the Grand Fleet, although they changed squadrons over the course of the war. Both ships were present during the Battle of Jutland in mid-1916, but neither fired a shot. They were converted into minelayers the following year and both ships laid minefields in early 1918 in addition to other missions. The sisters were reduced to reserve in 1919 and sold for scrap in 1921 and 1926.
Like the earlier scout cruisers, the Boadicea class was designed to provide destroyerflotillas with a command ship, theoretically offering the ability to scout ahead of the group and locate targets for the smaller ships to attack. They were enlarged and more powerfully armed versions of the earlier ships, fitted with steam turbines. Curiously, they were no faster than the older ships and equally unsuccessful in their intended role as they lacked the speed of the destroyers they were supposed to escort.[1]
Displacing 3,350 long tons (3,400 t), the ships had an overall length of 405 feet (123.4 m), a beam of 41 feet 6 inches (12.6 m) and a deep draught of 14 feet (4.3 m). They were powered by two sets of Parsonssteam turbines, each driving two shafts. The turbines produced a total of 18,000 indicated horsepower (13,000 kW), using steam produced by 12 Yarrow boilers that burned both fuel oil and coal, and gave a maximum speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph). They carried a maximum of 780 long tons (790 t) of coal and 189 long tons (192 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 4,260 nautical miles (7,890 km; 4,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[2] Her crew consisted of 317 officers and enlisted men.[3]
As scout cruisers, the ships were only lightly protected to maximise their speed. They had a curved protective deck that was 1 inch (25 mm) thick on the slope and 0.5 inches (13 mm) on the flat.[2] Their conning tower was protected by 4 inches of armour.[3]
Both Boadicea and Bellona began their careers with destroyer flotillas of the First Fleet, Boadicea as senior officers' ship for the 1st Destroyer Flotilla and Bellona with the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla. The former was transferred to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in mid-1912 and the sisters were transferred to the 2nd and the 1st Battle Squadrons, respectively, of the First Fleet in 1913.[6] Both ships were assigned to positions at the rear of their squadrons and did not fire their guns during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916.[7]
The sisters remained with their squadrons until 1917 when they were converted into minelayers, Bellona in May[8] and Boadicea in October, Bellona replacing her sister in the 2nd Battle Squadron that month.[9] After her conversion, Boadicea was assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron in January 1918[10] and neither ship was reassigned before the end of the war.[11] They laid mines at the entrance to the Kattegat on the nights of 18/19 and 24/25 February 1918[12] and both made several other sorties to lay their mines before the end of the war.[3] They were placed in reserve after the war[13] and taken out of service in 1920.[14]Bellona was quickly sold for scrap in 1921, but Boadicea was not sold until 1926.[15]
Notesedit
^"Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.
^"Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officer's Commands, &c". National Library of Scotland. Admiralty. May 1917. p. 14. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
^"Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officer's Commands, &c". National Library of Scotland. Admiralty. October 1917. pp. 10, 14. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
^"Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officer's Commands, &c". National Library of Scotland. Admiralty. January 1918. p. 10. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
^"Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officer's Commands, &c". National Library of Scotland. Admiralty. October 1918. p. 10. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
^"Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officer's Commands, &c". National Library of Scotland. Admiralty. 1 March 1919. p. 17. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
^"The Navy List". National Library of Scotland. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 18 March 1920. p. 735. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
Corbett, Julian (1997). Naval Operations to the Battle of the Falklands. History of the Great War: Based on Official Documents. Vol. I (2nd, reprint of the 1938 ed.). London and Nashville, Tennessee: Imperial War Museum and Battery Press. ISBN0-89839-256-X.
Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN978-1-59114-081-8.
Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN978-1-84832-100-7.
Phillips, Lawrie; Lieutenant Commander (2014). Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy: A Bicentennial History. Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK: The History Press. ISBN978-0-7509-5214-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN0-85177-245-5.
Smith, Peter C. (2005). Into the Minefields: British Destroyer Minelaying 1916 - 1960. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN1-84415-271-5.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boadicea class cruiser.
Boadicea class in World War I
History of the Boadicea class
April 09, 2024
boadicea, class, cruiser, pair, scout, cruisers, built, royal, navy, first, decade, 20th, century, they, were, first, class, this, type, fitted, with, steam, turbine, machinery, upon, completion, 1909, sister, ships, served, flotilla, leaders, destroyer, floti. The Boadicea class cruiser was a pair of scout cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century They were the first class of this type to be fitted with steam turbine machinery Upon completion in 1909 10 the sister ships served as flotilla leaders for destroyer flotillas of the First Fleet until 1913 when they were assigned to battleship squadrons When the First World War began in August 1914 they remained with their squadrons as the First Fleet was incorporated into the Grand Fleet although they changed squadrons over the course of the war Both ships were present during the Battle of Jutland in mid 1916 but neither fired a shot They were converted into minelayers the following year and both ships laid minefields in early 1918 in addition to other missions The sisters were reduced to reserve in 1919 and sold for scrap in 1921 and 1926 Boadicea at anchorClass overviewOperators Royal NavyPreceded bySentinel classSucceeded byBlonde classBuilt1907 1910In commission1909 1926Completed2Scrapped2General characteristics as built TypeScout cruiserDisplacement3 350 long tons 3 400 t normal Length405 ft 123 4 m o a Beam41 ft 6 in 12 6 m Draught14 ft 4 3 m Installed power18 000 shp 13 000 kW 12 Yarrow boilersPropulsion4 shafts 2 Parsons steam turbine setsSpeed25 knots 46 km h 29 mph Range4 260 nautical miles 7 890 km 4 900 mi at 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph Complement317Armament6 single BL 4 inch 102 mm guns 4 single QF 3 pounder 47 mm 1 9 in guns 2 single 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubesArmourDeck 5 1 in 13 25 mm Conning Tower 4 in 102 mm Contents 1 Design 2 Ships 3 Service 4 Notes 5 Footnotes 6 Bibliography 7 External linksDesign editLike the earlier scout cruisers the Boadicea class was designed to provide destroyer flotillas with a command ship theoretically offering the ability to scout ahead of the group and locate targets for the smaller ships to attack They were enlarged and more powerfully armed versions of the earlier ships fitted with steam turbines Curiously they were no faster than the older ships and equally unsuccessful in their intended role as they lacked the speed of the destroyers they were supposed to escort 1 Displacing 3 350 long tons 3 400 t the ships had an overall length of 405 feet 123 4 m a beam of 41 feet 6 inches 12 6 m and a deep draught of 14 feet 4 3 m They were powered by two sets of Parsons steam turbines each driving two shafts The turbines produced a total of 18 000 indicated horsepower 13 000 kW using steam produced by 12 Yarrow boilers that burned both fuel oil and coal and gave a maximum speed of 25 knots 46 km h 29 mph They carried a maximum of 780 long tons 790 t of coal and 189 long tons 192 t of fuel oil that gave them a range of 4 260 nautical miles 7 890 km 4 900 mi at 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph 2 Her crew consisted of 317 officers and enlisted men 3 The main armament of the Boadicea class consisted of six breech loading BL four inch 102 mm Mk VII guns The forward pair of guns were mounted side by side on a platform on the forecastle the middle pair were amidships one on each broadside and the two remaining guns were on the centreline of the quarterdeck one ahead of the other 3 The guns fired their 31 pound 14 kg shells to a range of about 11 400 yards 10 400 m 4 Her secondary armament was four quick firing QF three pounder 47 mm 1 9 in Vickers Mk I guns and two submerged 21 inch 533 mm torpedo tubes During the war four additional four inch guns were added amidships to increase her firepower A QF three inch 20 cwt Note 1 anti aircraft gun was also added In 1918 it was replaced by a four inch gun 3 As scout cruisers the ships were only lightly protected to maximise their speed They had a curved protective deck that was 1 inch 25 mm thick on the slope and 0 5 inches 13 mm on the flat 2 Their conning tower was protected by 4 inches of armour 3 Ships editConstruction data Ship Builder 5 Laid down 3 Launched 3 Completed 3 HMS Boadicea Pembroke Dockyard 1 June 1907 14 May 1908 June 1909HMS Bellona 5 June 1908 23 March 1909 February 1910Service editBoth Boadicea and Bellona began their careers with destroyer flotillas of the First Fleet Boadicea as senior officers ship for the 1st Destroyer Flotilla and Bellona with the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla The former was transferred to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla in mid 1912 and the sisters were transferred to the 2nd and the 1st Battle Squadrons respectively of the First Fleet in 1913 6 Both ships were assigned to positions at the rear of their squadrons and did not fire their guns during the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1 June 1916 7 The sisters remained with their squadrons until 1917 when they were converted into minelayers Bellona in May 8 and Boadicea in October Bellona replacing her sister in the 2nd Battle Squadron that month 9 After her conversion Boadicea was assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron in January 1918 10 and neither ship was reassigned before the end of the war 11 They laid mines at the entrance to the Kattegat on the nights of 18 19 and 24 25 February 1918 12 and both made several other sorties to lay their mines before the end of the war 3 They were placed in reserve after the war 13 and taken out of service in 1920 14 Bellona was quickly sold for scrap in 1921 but Boadicea was not sold until 1926 15 Notes edit Cwt is the abbreviation for hundredweight 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun Footnotes edit Friedman 2009 pp 111 13 a b Friedman 2009 p 295 a b c d e f g h Preston 1985 p 50 Friedman 2011 pp 75 76 Phillips 2014 p 288 The Navy List National Library of Scotland London His Majesty s Stationery Office 18 June 1913 p 269 Retrieved 31 March 2016 Corbett 1997 p 345 Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet Flag Officer s Commands amp c National Library of Scotland Admiralty May 1917 p 14 Retrieved 1 April 2016 Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet Flag Officer s Commands amp c National Library of Scotland Admiralty October 1917 pp 10 14 Retrieved 1 April 2016 Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet Flag Officer s Commands amp c National Library of Scotland Admiralty January 1918 p 10 Retrieved 1 April 2016 Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet Flag Officer s Commands amp c National Library of Scotland Admiralty October 1918 p 10 Retrieved 1 April 2016 Smith 2005 pp 32 37 Supplement to the Monthly Navy List Showing the Organisation of the Fleet Flag Officer s Commands amp c National Library of Scotland Admiralty 1 March 1919 p 17 Retrieved 1 April 2016 The Navy List National Library of Scotland London His Majesty s Stationery Office 18 March 1920 p 735 Retrieved 31 March 2016 Colledge 2006 pp 37 43Bibliography editColledge J J Warlow Ben 2006 1969 Ships of the Royal Navy The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy Rev ed London Chatham Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 281 8 Corbett Julian 1997 Naval Operations to the Battle of the Falklands History of the Great War Based on Official Documents Vol I 2nd reprint of the 1938 ed London and Nashville Tennessee Imperial War Museum and Battery Press ISBN 0 89839 256 X Friedman Norman 2009 British Destroyers From Earliest Days to the Second World War Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 978 1 59114 081 8 Friedman Norman 2011 Naval Weapons of World War One Barnsley South Yorkshire UK Seaforth ISBN 978 1 84832 100 7 Phillips Lawrie Lieutenant Commander 2014 Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy A Bicentennial History Stroud Gloucestershire UK The History Press ISBN 978 0 7509 5214 9 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Preston Antony 1985 Great Britain and Empire Forces In Gardiner Robert amp Gray Randal eds Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1906 1921 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press pp 1 104 ISBN 0 85177 245 5 Smith Peter C 2005 Into the Minefields British Destroyer Minelaying 1916 1960 Barnsley UK Pen amp Sword Maritime ISBN 1 84415 271 5 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boadicea class cruiser Boadicea class in World War I History of the Boadicea class Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Boadicea class cruiser amp oldid 1134778408, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
