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Bristol Class. Second class cruisers and designed for a variety of roles including both trade protection and fleet duties. Overall they were considered a success but there were some criticisms that the ships were cramped, they could be lively gun platforms and that the mixed calibre armament could cause problems for fire control and the 4 inch guns were mounted too near the sea. |
HMS Bristol
Built John Brown, laid down March 1909, completed December 1910.
HMS Glasgow
Built Fairfield, laid down March 1909, completed September 1910.
HMS Gloucester
Built Beardmore, laid down April 1909, completed October 1910.
HMS Liverpool
Built Vickers, laid down February 1909, completed October 1910.
HMS Newcastle
Built Elswick, laid down April 1909, completed September 1910.
Size:
Length 430 feet pp 453 feet overall, beam 47 feet, draught 15 feet 6 inches, displacement 4,800 tons normal 5,300 tons load.
Propulsion:
4 shaft Parsons turbines, 22,000 shp, 25kts
Bristol 2 shaft Brown-Curtis turbines.
Trials:
Bristol 24,529 shp = 26.84 knots
Glasgow 22,472 shp = 26.7 knots
Gloucester 23,757 shp = 26.29 knots
Liverpool 24,614 shp = 26.17 knots
Newcastle 24,669 shp = 26.4 knots
Armour:
2-0.5in decks
Armament:
2 x 6in 50cal Mk XI (2 x 1), 10 x 4in 50cal Mk VIII (10 x 1), 4 x 3 pounder (4 x 1), 2 x 18in TT
Comments:
Originally to have a uniform 4 inch gun armament but two 6 inch guns were added to give them an advantage over German
light cruisers. Crew 480.
World War 1 Service:
Bristol
4th Cruiser Squadron West Indies.
6 August 1914 skirmish with SMS Karlsruhe.
Sent to South American waters to hunt Admiral Graf Spee.
8 December 1914 Battle of the Falkland Islands.
1915 Mediterranean.
1916 Adriatic.
1918 South America.
1921 Sold for scrap.
Glasgow
South America.
16 August 1914 Captured German merchant ship SS Catherina.
1 November 1914 Took part in the Battle of Coronel.
8 December 1914 Battle of the Falkland Islands.
14 March 1915 along with HMS Kent found and sank SMS Dresden at Mas a Fuera.
1915 Mediterranean.
1917 8th Light Cruiser Squadron Adriatic.
1927 Sold for scrap.
Gloucester
2nd Light Cruiser Squadron Mediterranean.
August 1914 Involved in hunt for SMS Goeben and Breslau.
1914 Hunt for German raiders off West coast of Africa.
February 1915 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron Grand Fleet.
April 1916 shelled Galway during Easter Uprising.
31 May-1 June 1916 Took part in the Battle of Jutland.
1916 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron Grand Fleet.
December 1916 8th Light Cruiser Squadron Adriatic.
1921 sold for scrap.
Liverpool
1st light Cruiser Squadron Grand Fleet.
28 October August 1914 Battle of Heligoland Bight.
27 1914 Gave assistance to HMS Audacious after she struck a mine.
January 1915 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron Grand Fleet.
February 1915 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron Grand Fleet.
November 1915 Mediterranean.
January 1918 8th Light Cruiser Squadron Adriatic.
1921 Sold for scrap.
Newcastle
1914 China and Pacific.
1917 East Indies.
1918 south America.
1921 Sold for scrap.
| HMS Liverpool. She gave assistance to the British battleship HMS Audacious after she struck a mine and received light from debris damage and a crew member killed when the battleship exploded. Like the rest of the class she spent most of the war on overseas stations. |
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