British Cruiser Classes of the First World War

Introduction
First class cruisers
Battlecruisers
Second class cruisers
Light cruisers
Third class cruisers
Scout cruisers

Introduction

This list covers the fifty classes of cruisers to see active service during the First World War. These ships varied in size from the massive battlecruisers developed after 1906, which at over 30,000 tonnes were essentially light battleships, down to the tiny 2,000 tonne scout cruisers. The number of ships given is the number of ships active during the war, not the total number of ships in the class. HMS Hood is included in the list to illustrate the vast size of the last general of battlecruisers, despite not being completed until after the war.

This period saw a change in the classification of cruisers. In 1888 a three class system had been introduced, originally based on largely on size. The first class cruisers still in use in 1914 were generally over 10,000 tonnes, and most carried two 9.2in guns and a large number of 6in or 7.5in guns.

These large armoured cruisers then evolved into the battlecruiser, with the appearance of the Invincible class (1907-1909), although the term itself was not adopted until 1912. The distinguishing features of these ships were the adoption of the all big-gun armament of the Dreadnaught,  and the choice of the 12 inch battleship gun as the main armament.

The surviving second and third class cruisers in 1914 were distinguished mainly by their largest guns. The second class cruisers all carried at least two 6in guns (except for the wartime Birkenhead class, with ten 5.5in guns). The third class cruisers carried 4in guns and were generally smaller ships.

The second class cruiser went out of fashion after the Highflyer class of 1899-1900, and no new designs appeared until the Bristol class of 1909-1910. These ships saw the older triple expansion engines replaced by turbines and coal power replaced by a mix of coal and oil. They are generally known as light cruisers. While the Bristol and Weymouth class cruisers only carried deck armour, the Chatham class cruisers of 1911-1916 carried a belt of armour on the waterline, a feature on following classes.

The scout class cruisers were very lightly built, and carried even lighter guns than the third class cruisers. They were soon superseded by the increasingly seaworthy destroyers whose faster speed made them much better and rather less expensive scouts.

First class cruisers

Battle Cruisers

Second class cruisers

* HMS Medusa was the only survivor of this class, acting as a calibrating vessel at Bantry during the war.

Light Cruisers

Third Class Cruisers

Scout class cruisers

Books on the First World War | Subject Index: First World War

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