Warrior Class Cruiser (1905)
The four armoured cruisers of the Warrior Class were completed in 1906 and 1907. Sometimes, the ships are considered a subclass of the preceding Duke of Edinburgh class, with 7.5-in guns rather than 6-in guns to augment the 9.2-in battery.
| Name | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Commissioned | Pendant Numbers | Fate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | January, 1918 | April, 1918 | ||||||
| Achilles | Armstrong's | 17 June, 1905 | 24 | 00 | N.03 | Sold, 9 May, 1921 | ||
| Cochrane | Fairfield's | 20 May, 1905 | 19 | 41 | N.10 | Wrecked, 14 November, 1918 | ||
| Natal | Vickers | 30 Sept., 1905 | 69 | Sunk, 30 December, 1915 | ||||
| Warrior | Pembroke | 25 November, 1905 | 18 | Sunk, 1 June, 1916 | ||||
Armament
9.2-in Guns
This section is sourced in The Sight Manual, 1916.[1]
The six 9.2-in BL guns Mark X were mounted in single Mark V S mountings, as they were in the King Edward V class battleships, able to elevate 15 degrees and depress 5 degrees. Here, they were disposed fore, aft, and two on each broadside enjoying considerable end-on arcs.
The sights (also used in King Edward VII class) were gear-worked with a range gearing constant of 37.04, graduated to 15 degrees (or 15,400 yards, full charge). Range dials were provided for full charge at 2850 fps, a second for 2750 fps, reduced charge at 2225 fps and 3-pdr sub-calibre and .303-in aiming rifle. The 2850 fps dial was noted as having range errors exceeding 25 yards, as it employed the same cam cut for the 2750 fps dial. The 2750 fps dial would be used for calibrating the sight. MV was corrected by adjustable pointer allowing a 100 fps decrease (only).
The deflection was on a gearing constant of 77.98, 1 knot being 2.61 arc minutes, calibrated for 2750 fps at 5000 yards.
Drift was corrected by inclining the sight bracket 1.5 degrees. The sighting lines were 14.5 inches above the bore and 45 inches abreast the bore.
A "C" corrector was fitted, presumably also a temperature corrector.
7.5-in Guns
This section is sourced in The Sight Manual, 1916.[2]
The four 7.5-in BL guns Mark II were arranged in five single Mark II mountings on each broadside, able to elevate 15 degrees and depress 5 degrees. They could fire 2 CRH or 4 CRH shells.
The sights (also used in Minotaur class) were gear-worked with a range gearing constant of 49.28, graduated to 15 degrees (15,700 yards for 4 CRH, 14,200 for 2 CRH). Range dials were provided for full charge at 2800 fps, reduced charge at 2325 fps and 3-pdr sub-calibre and .303-in aiming rifle. MV was corrected by adjustable pointer to +/- 75 fps.
The deflection was on a gearing constant of 72.65, 1 knot being 2.70 arc minutes, calibrated for 2800 fps at 5000 yards. An arrow at 4.5 knots right deflection on the deflection dial was inscribed "Zero for sight testing".
Drift was corrected by inclining the sight carrier 2 degrees and by applying an additional 4.5 knots permanent left deflection when firing 4 CRH shells. The sighting lines with sight lines 11 inches above the bore and 32 inches abreast whereas the central position was 38 inches abreast the bore.A practice gun could be mounted ont he turret roof 65.12 inches above the gun bore.
A "C" corrector was fitted, presumably also a temperature corrector.
Torpedoes
In 1913, it was approved, as part of a general reallocation of 18-in torpedoes, to replace the torpedoes on Invincible class and Warrior class (except Cochrane, except Shannon. which received F. III** H. torpedoes) with Mark VI** H. or Mark VI** H. torpedoes.[3]
Fire Control
Rangefinders
Evershed Bearing Indicators
It is unlikely that this equipment was ever provided.[Inference]
Directors
In 1916, it was approved that the 2 surviving ships of this class should be retrofitted with directors as time, resources and opportunity permitted,[4] but these ambitions were slow to execute. Achilles received one in October 1918, but the war ended before Cochrane received hers.[5]
Gunnery Control
Local Control in Turrets
Transmitting Stations
Dreyer Table
These ships never received Dreyer tables.[6]
Fire Control Instruments
By 1909, all 4 ships were equipped with Vickers, Son and Maxim instruments for range, deflection and orders and with Barr and Stroud rate instruments as follows:[7]
- Vickers range transmitters: 10
- Vickers deflection transmitters: 10
- Vickers combined range and deflection receivers: 31
- Vickers C.O.S.: 5
- Vickers Check fire switches: 10
- Barr and Stroud rate transmitters: 4
- Barr and Stroud rate receivers: 12
- Siemens turret fire gongs: 20 with 10 keys
- Vickers fire gongs: none
- Captain's Cease Fire Bells: 10 with 1 key (supplier not stated)
As in the Minotaur class, bearing instruments were installed in or by 1915.[8] The centre line 9.2-in guns formed one group, and the mixed-caliber port and starboard broadsides two more. The receivers in the first group could be driven by a transmitter in the TS or switched to attend to either of two special Graham's type transmitters in the foretop.
The overall bill of fare ran to:
- 2 special bearing transmitters, Graham's type (in foretop, P&S)
- 3 Barr and Stroud bearing transmitters (2 in foretop P & S, 1 in fore TS)
- 15 bearing receivers:
- 10 in the turrets (1 each)
- 3 repeats in the fore TS
- 2 repeats in the foretop
- Three C.O.S. (one in fore TS, and two in foretop)
These ships lacked Target Visible and Gun Ready signals.[9]
Torpedo Control
See Also
Footnotes
- ↑ The Sight Manual, 1916, pp 55-6, 105, 108, 110. Plate 21.
- ↑ The Sight Manual, 1916, pp 58, 105, 108, 110.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1913, p. 8.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916, p. 175.
- ↑ The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, 1919, p. 15.
- ↑ Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables. p. 3.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1909, pp. 56, 60.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1915, p. 219.
- ↑ Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914. p. 11.
Bibliography
- Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1591140684 (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
- 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:DirectorFiringH1917
- Template:DreyerTableH1918
- 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.
- H.M.S. Vernon. (Jan 1916) Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1915. C.B. 1166. Copy 1025 at The National Archives. ADM 189/35.
- McBride, Keith (1990). "The Dukes and the Warriors" Warship International 27 (4): pp. 362-393.
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