The ''Edgar'' class was a nine-ship class of

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

built around 1891 for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. Nine ships were completed, all of which participated in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. One, , was lost during the war, with the other eight being scrapped in the 1920s.

Design

Armament for the majority of the class was two 9.2-inch guns one at each end of the ship on the centreline with ten 6-inch guns. Four of the 6-inch guns were in

casemates A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" mean ...

on the main deck and six protected only by shields. For protection against torpedo boats there were 12

QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss The Ordnance QF Hotchkiss 6 pounder gun Mk I and Mk II or QF 6 pounder 8 cwt were a family of long-lived light naval guns introduced in 1885 to defend against new, small and fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. There were ma ...

guns and four

QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss The QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss or in French use Canon Hotchkiss à tir rapide de 47 mm were a family of long-lived light naval guns introduced in 1886 to defend against new, small and fast vessels such as torpedo boats and later submarines. T ...

guns. Armament was completed with four 18-inch torpedo tubes. ''Edgar''-class ships main protection was a thick armoured deck starting at waterline level arching up over the machinery spaces. The gun casemates were thick, with shields for the 9.2 inch guns. The

conning tower A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer in charge can conn the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and gro ...

had armour. Four of the ''Edgar'' class were fitted with

anti-torpedo bulge The anti-torpedo bulge (also known as an anti-torpedo blister) is a form of defence against naval torpedoes occasionally employed in warship construction in the period between the First and Second World Wars. It involved fitting (or retrofittin ...

during refit in 1914. Propulsion came from steam expansion engines, driving two shafts. ''Crescent'' and ''Royal Arthur'' were built to a slightly modified design with a raised forecastle and a pair of 6 inch guns replacing the forward 9.2 inch gun, and are sometimes considered a separate class.

Building programme

The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the members of the ''Edgar'' class. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. Edgar class cruiser diagram Brasseys 1897

Edgar class cruiser diagram Brasseys 1897

Notes

References

* * Brassey, Lord (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1888-89'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1890'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1891'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1892'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1893'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1894'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1895'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1896'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1899'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1902'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1903'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1904'' * Brassey, T.A. (ed) Brassey's ''The Naval Annual 1905'' * Leyland, J. and Brassey, T.A. (ed) The Naval Annual 1906 *

External links

www.worldwar1.co.uk
{{WWI British ships Cruiser classes Ship classes of the Royal Navy