British armoured cruiser HMS Defence 1905-1916

Duke of Edinburgh-class armoured cruisers

Minotaur-class armoured cruisers

Invincible-class battle cruisers

Laid down at the Pembroke Dockyard on 25 February 1905, launched on 24 April 1907, commissioned on 9 February 1909, participated in the unsuccessful pursuit of the German battle cruiser SMS Goeben and light cruiser Breslau underway towards Turkey and sunk during the Battle of Jutland with her entire crew on 31 May 1916. She attacked the SMS Wiesbaden when she was destroyed by gunfire of the German SMS battle cruiser Derfflinger and four battleships. Building costs 1.362.970 pond sterling. British Minotaur-class armoured cruisers consisting of the Defence, Minotaur and Shannon, preceded by the Duke of Edinburgh-class but not succeeded by a new class of armoured cruiser, but in fact by the Invincible-class of battle cruisers. Not a really successful design while armour was offered to compensate the extra weight of their heavy armament.

Displacement 14.800-16.900 tons (deep load) tons and as dimensions 149,4 (between perpendiculars)-158,2 (over all) x 22,7 x 7,9 (mean) metres or 490-519 x 74.5 x 26 feet. Crew numbered 779 (design)-903 (in service).Machinery consisted of 1 set 4-cylinder triple expansion steam engines with 24 water tube boilers supplying via 2 shafts 27.000 ihp allowing a design speed of 23 knots. Maximum coal bunker capacity was 2.060 ton to which 760 tons fuel oil were added to spread over the coal to increase the burning rate. Armour consisted of a 7,6-15,2cm/3-6” thick belt, a 3,8-5,1cm/1.5-2” thick deck with the gun turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 11,4-20,3cm/4,5-8’, 17,8cm/7” and 25,4cm/10”. The armament consisted of 2x2-23,4cm/9.2” breech loading Mk XI guns, 10x1-19,1cm/7.5” breech loading Mk V guns. 10x1-7,6cm/3”/12pd quick firing 18-cwt guns and 5 submerged 4cm/18” torpedo tubes. Between 1915-1916 were for anti aircraft tasks 1-12pd gun and 1-3pd gun added. To prevent that the bridge was blinded by smoke were in 1909 the funnels raised.