Design and description
The ''Challenger''-class cruisers were essentially repeats of the previous Highflyer-class cruiser, ''Highflyer'' class, albeit with more powerful propulsion machinery. They were designed to Displacement (ship), displace . The ships had a length between perpendiculars of , a beam (nautical), beam of and a draft (ship), draught of . Their crew consisted of 490 officers and other ranks (UK), other ranks.Friedman 2012, p. 336 The ships were powered by two 4-cylinder Marine steam engine#Triple or multiple expansion, triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by 18 Babcock & Wilcox boiler, Babcock & Wilcox () or Dürr boiler, Dürr (''Encounter'') water-tube boilers. These boilers were heavier and bulkier, but more powerful than the Belleville boilers used in the ''Highflyer'' class. Sir William Henry White, William White, Director of Naval Construction, was uncertain if the extra power would offset the weight sufficiently to reach and rated the ships at . The boilers were designed to produce enough steam to allow the engines to reach . The ships easily exceeded their designed power and speeds during their sea trials.Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 79 They carried a maximum of of coal. The main armament of the ''Challenger'' class consisted of 11 quick-firing gun, quick-firing (QF) QF 6 inch Mk I - III naval gun, Mk I guns. One gun was mounted on the forecastle and two others were positioned on the quarterdeck. The remaining eight guns were placed port and starboard amidships. They had a maximum range of approximately with their shells.Friedman 2011, pp. 87–88 Eight QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun, QF 12-pounder 12 cwt guns were fitted for defence against torpedo boats. One additional QF 12-pounder 8-cwt Mk I naval gun, 12-pounder 8 cwt gun could be dismounted for service ashore. They also carried six QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss, 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns and two submerged British 18 inch torpedo, 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. The ships' protective deck (ship), deck armour ranged in thickness from . The engine hatches were protected by of armour. The main guns were fitted with 3-inch gun shields and the conning tower had armour 6 inches thick.Ships
* - Sold 1920 * - To Australia in 1912 as HMAS ''Encounter'', renamed ''Penguin'' 1923, scuttled 1932.Notes
Footnotes
Bibliography
* * * * *External links
{{WWI British ships Challenger-class cruisers, Cruiser classes Ship classes of the Royal Navy