Ceres Class Cruiser (1917)

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The five light cruisers of the Ceres Class were completed in 1917 and 1918.

Machinery

Generators

In 1916, it was stated that ""C" and "D" class light cruisers" have three 52.5 kw dynamos at 105 volts.[1]

Armament

The ships were armed as follows.[2]

Guns

  • Five 6-in 45cal B.L. Mark XII guns on the centre-line with a maximum elevation of 30 degrees.[3] The guns had armoured shields of 1/4 inch on the face, 3/16 inch on sides and top, weighing 1.25 tons.[4]
  • Two 3-in 20cwt Q.F. on H.A. mountings
  • Four 3-pdr
  • Two 2-pdr pom-poms

Torpedoes

  • Eight 21-in A.W. tubes on four twin mountings disposed in pairs abreast, bearing 60-120 degrees.

As the 6-in guns fired over these, they proved untenable for manned firing as the 6-in guns would have necessitated a blast shield projecting fully 18 feet from the muzzle. The ugly expedient taken was to train the tubes to a pre-arranged bearing on coming to action stations and to use remote firing from the primary and secondary control positions.[5]

Fire Control

Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter

By 1920, all ships were likely equipped with four Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter Mark II*s with Evershed Bearing Transmitters.[6] The installations generally consisted of placing one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from a gearbox on the director tower.[7]

Supplies of these devices began in June 1918.[8]

Range Dials

As of 1920, all five ships had two Range Dial Type Cs with 10 foot dials and a Range Dial Type L.[9]

Rangefinders

Sometime during or after 1917, an additional 9-foot rangefinder was to be added specifically to augment torpedo control.[10]

Evershed Bearing Indicators

These ships almost certainly had Evershed gear for gun control from delivery, as they followed the Centaur class.[11]

Orders for Evershed installations for searchlight control from February 1917 applied to the Danae class, but may not have applied to Ceres.[12]

Gunnery Control

Control Positions

Control Groups

Directors

All ships were completed with gunnery directors in place.[13] The director was in a tower on a pedestal mounting..[14] It is not known if "X" or any other gun acted as a directing gun as in the earlier Caledon class.[15]

Transmitting Stations

Dreyer Table

These ships had no fire control tables.[16]

Fire Control Instruments

Torpedo Control

Torpedo Control, as proposed in 1916[17]

In 1916, it was decided that all light cruisers of Bristol class and later should have torpedo firing keys (Pattern 2333) fitted on the fore bridge, in parallel with those in the CT, and that a flexible voice pipe be fitted between these positions. [18]

By 1917, modifications to the torpedo control voice pipe system were desired. The voice pipes (port and starboard) to the CT were ordered to be removed in 1917, and in 1918, stop cocks were to be added to allow the after control position to be chopped out to improve the acoustic efficiency of the networks to remaining the rangefinder platform control position forward. [19]

Additionally, all light cruisers with submerged tubes were to receive torpedo order and gyro angle instruments between torpedo flats and both control positions. The C class (which may or may not encompass the Ceres class) was to receive Chadburn Torpedo Telegraphs to meet this need. Otherwise, Barr and Stroud would be a likely choice.[20]

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School', 1916', p. 120.
  2. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 61.
  3. ↑ Progress in Naval Gunnery, 1914-1918", p. 10.
  4. ↑ Technical History and Index, Vol 3, Part 28, p. 18. I presume this is what is referred to as "C" class
  5. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916, p. 35. I am inferring that the faults in Caledon carried through to this class.
  6. ↑ Manual of Gunnery, Volume III, 1920, p. 35.
  7. ↑ Manual of Gunnery of H.M. Fleet, Volume III, 1920, p. 35, 37.
  8. ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 23. pp. 25-6.
  9. ↑ Manual of Gunnery of H.M. Fleet, Volume III, 1920, p. 45.
  10. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. p. 199. (possibly pertinent: C.I.O. 481/17).
  11. ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 23. p. 29.
  12. ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 23. p. 29.
  13. ↑ The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 23. p. 11.
  14. ↑ Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918., p. 142.
  15. ↑ Handbook of Captain F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918., Plate opposite p. 142.
  16. ↑ absent from list in Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, p. 3.
  17. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. Plate 86, applicable to this class per p. 152.
  18. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 146.
  19. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1918. p. 214. CT VP removal per C.I.O. 4037/17.
  20. ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1916, p. 146.

Bibliography

  • Admiralty, Gunnery Branch (1917). The Director Firing Handbook. O.U. 6125 (late C.B. 1259). Copy No. 322 at The National Archives. ADM 186/227.
  • 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 (1918). Handbook of Captain F. C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables, 1918. C.B. 1456. Copy No. 10 at Admiralty Library, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
  • Admiralty, Technical History Section (1919). The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in H.M. Ships. Vol. 3, Part 23. C.B. 1515 (23) now O.U. 6171/14. At The National Archives. ADM 275/19.
  • Admiralty, Gunnery and Torpedo Division (July, 1919). Progress in Naval Gunnery, 1914-1918. C.B. 902. The National Archives. ADM 186/238.


Ceres Class Light Cruiser
Ceres Cardiff Coventry Curacoa Curlew
<– Caledon Class Minor Cruisers (UK) Danae Class –>
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