Highflyer-class cruiser


The Highflyer-class cruisers were a group of three second-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the late 1890s.

Design and description

The Highflyer-class cruisers were essentially repeats of the previous, albeit with a more powerful armament and propulsion machinery. They were designed to displace. The ships had an overall length of, a beam of and a draught of. Their crew consisted of 470 officers and other ranks.
The ships were powered by two 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by 18 Belleville boilers, which were lighter and more powerful than the cylindrical boilers used by the Eclipses. The engines were designed to produce a total of which was intended to give a maximum speed of. The ships easily exceeded their designed power and speeds during their sea trials. They carried a maximum of of coal.
The main armament of the Highflyer class consisted of 11 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. Eight QF [12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|QF 12-pounder 12 cwt guns] were fitted for defence against torpedo boats. One additional 12-pounder 8 cwt gun could be dismounted for service ashore. They also carried six 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder] Hotchkiss guns and two submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.
The ships' protective 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