Devonshire Class Cruiser (1903)

The six Armoured Cruisers of the Devonshire Class were completed in 1905. They were, along with the preceding Monmouth class, often referred to as "County Class" cruisers.

Name	Builder	Laid Down	Launched	Commissioned	Pendant Numbers			Fate
					1914	January, 1918	April, 1918
Antrim	John Brown		8 October, 1903		09	07	N.58	Sold, 19 December, 1922
Argyll	Scotts		3 April, 1904		80			Wrecked, 28 October, 1915
Carnarvon	Beardmore		7 October, 1903		30	P.80		Sold, 8 November, 1921
Devonshire	Chatham		30 April, 1904		38	53	N.19	Sold, 9 May, 1921
Hampshire	Armstrong's		4 September, 1903		50 (2.15)			Sunk, 5 June, 1916
Roxburgh	L. & G.		19 January, 1904		86	3A	N.34	Sold, 8 November, 1921

Searchlights

In 1907, these ships, along with the earlier Powerful, Drake, Cressy, and Monmouth classes and battleships of the Majestic, Canopus, London, and Duncan classes, were to land their searchlights from their tops and obtain two additional 24-inch models from their dockyards for placement on the shelter or boat deck. These were to be augmented by (or further upgraded to?) a pair of 36-in searchlights when they became available.

Armament

During the war, along with those of other older ships, the four 6-inch guns casemated on the main deck proved of little use in practical sea states. The two forward-most main deck guns were never even fitted as their issues were glaring. Two lower casemates aft were vacated and their guns put in spray shields on the upper deck abaft the 7.5-in turrets, sacrificing 3-pdr guns that were then in the way.^{[Fact Check]}

Main Battery

Four 7.5-in Mark I B.L. guns on Mark I mountings in single turrets, fore, aft, and on the beams.

Secondary Battery

The six 6-in guns were Mark VII, on P III, P III*, P III S and/or P IV mountings arranged in casemates, three on each broadside.

The sights were similar to those in Albemarle and Cornwall, but sturdier. Range gearing constant was 51.41 with one knot of deflection being 2.77 arc minutes. Range dials were provided for 2730 fps, 1970 fps, 3-pdr sub-caliber, 1-in aiming rifle and .303-in aiming rifle. MV correction by adjustable pointer for +/- 50 fps. Deflection dial graduated for 2730 fps at 3000 yards. Drift correction by inclining the sight 1.5 degrees. The sights were 14.45 inches above the bore and 13.1 inches to the side.

Torpedoes

Two 18-in submerge tubes, one to each side.

Fire Control

Evershed Bearing Indicators

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

Directors

These ships never received directors for main or secondary batteries.

Dreyer Table

These ships never received Dreyer tables.

Fire Control Instruments

By 1909, all 6 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: 6
• Vickers deflection transmitters: 6
• Vickers combined range and deflection receivers: 21
• Vickers C.O.S.: 3
• Vickers Check fire switches: 6
• Barr and Stroud rate transmitters: 4
• Barr and Stroud rate receivers: 8
• Siemens turret fire gongs: 8 with 4 keys
• Vickers fire gongs: 6 with 2 keys
• Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 12 with 1 key (supplier not stated)

These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Bibliography

• Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591140684 (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
• McBride, Keith (1988). Grant, Ian. ed. "The First County Class Cruisers of the Royal Navy, Part II: The Devonshires". Warship (Volume XII, Issue 47): pp. 19-23.
• Admiralty, Technical History Section (1920). The Technical History and Index: Alteration in Armaments of H.M. Ships during the War. Vol. 4, Part 34. C.B. 1515 (34) now O.U. 6171/20. At The National Archives, Kew, United Kingdom.
• 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
• Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.