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I guess that when she was built she seemed "state of the art". But with looking back from now the design seems really "Heath Robinson". The mixture of sails and steam, all those ventilators that look pretty inviting as a target for enemy fire. Portholes near the waterline etc. Can't see the guns very well - looks like there is a smallish one near the bow and presumably more at the stern.
Thanks for posting this David.
Regards,
Brian
Thanks for posting this David.
Regards,
Brian
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Bit more data for you : Eclipse class - second class cruiser
Built London & Glasgow Co, Glasgow, laid down August 1894, completed May 1898.
Length 373 feet beam 53.5 feet draft 20.5 feet Disp 5,600 full load
Main battery : 5 x 6 inch QF in single mounts (QF = quick firing and indicates combined shell / charge to spped things up a bit)
Secondary stuff : 6 x 4.7 inch 8 x 12 pounders, 6 x 3 pounders all in single mounts
3 x 18 inch torpedo tubes
Armour : none on hull, 3 inches on the gun shields and 1.5 to 3 inches in vulnerable areas of the decks
Machinery : twin screw / triple expansion steam engines 8,000 Hp for 18-19 knots Crew 450
an enlarged follow on from the preceding Astreae class but with 'better' armour
Dido appeared to spend her life as a destroyer depot ship based at Harwich ( which gives some idea of her standing as a warship) - she was scrapped in 1926
Built London & Glasgow Co, Glasgow, laid down August 1894, completed May 1898.
Length 373 feet beam 53.5 feet draft 20.5 feet Disp 5,600 full load
Main battery : 5 x 6 inch QF in single mounts (QF = quick firing and indicates combined shell / charge to spped things up a bit)
Secondary stuff : 6 x 4.7 inch 8 x 12 pounders, 6 x 3 pounders all in single mounts
3 x 18 inch torpedo tubes
Armour : none on hull, 3 inches on the gun shields and 1.5 to 3 inches in vulnerable areas of the decks
Machinery : twin screw / triple expansion steam engines 8,000 Hp for 18-19 knots Crew 450
an enlarged follow on from the preceding Astreae class but with 'better' armour
Dido appeared to spend her life as a destroyer depot ship based at Harwich ( which gives some idea of her standing as a warship) - she was scrapped in 1926
The worthy citizens of Harwich had a song about the Dido in the first world war, all I know of it is it had the words Dicky Dicky Dido in it (Thats not the one about one black one, one white one!). It was also reckoned she could not put to sea because she was sat on a mountain of bully beef tins.
I think to be fair to the class in general Steve, they were built at a time when Send a Gunboat was all in fashion and I am sure the arrival of one of these would have quite an effect on the 'opposition'.
Peter4447(Thumb)
I think to be fair to the class in general Steve, they were built at a time when Send a Gunboat was all in fashion and I am sure the arrival of one of these would have quite an effect on the 'opposition'.
Peter4447(Thumb)
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Sorry Steve but I can't agree. I accept that if this class came up against say another European power they would probably have come off very badly indeed. The point I am making is at that period in time, our 'enemies' seemed to be people waving spears and paddling dug-out canoes together with the odd group of pirates. With 5 x 6", 6 x 4.7", 8 x 12pdr, 6 x 3pdr plus a detachment of Royal Marines as a landing party, I think they would have been very effective indeed. With the passing of the Victorian gunboat era, it was common practice to use these old, out-dated cruisers as depot ships but that is not to say that they were not effective in the role for which they were originally designed which I do not believe, would have been at that period of our history to actually stand in the 'line of battle'.
Peter4447
Peter4447
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