Spanish armoured cruiser Carlos V one of the best ships in the Spanish navy according to the Dutch newspaper De grondwet dated 17 May 1898

Drawing published in the newspaper

Drawing made by Ron van Maanen

The Spanish armoured cruiser Carlos V was described as a beautiful new ship and one of the best of the Spanish fleet. She was armed with 2-11” guns shooting 500pd grenades and 5-5” quick firing guns shooting each minute 12-70pd grenades.(1)

Note
1. Laid down at the Vega-Murguia Shipyards, Cadiz, Spain  in 1892, launched on 12 March 1895, completed on 2 June 1898, decommissioned 1922, stricken in 1932 and broken up in 1933. Although built in Spain were armour manufactured in Germany, stern and stern-post in England and the gun turrets in France, the latter were in 1897 placed at Le Havre, France. With a displacement of 9.090 tons were her dimensions 115,82 x 20,42 x 7,62 (mean) metres or 380’x 67’x 25’. Speed 16 (operational)-19 (trial)-20 (forced draft) knots. Her crew numbered 600 men. The armament consisted of 2-28cm/11” guns, 8-14cm/5.5” guns, 4-10cm quick firing guns, 2-12pd quick firing guns, 4-6pd quick firing guns, 4-1pd quick firing guns, 2 machineguns and 6 torpedo tubes. The armament consisted of a 5,1cm/2” thick belt with the barbettes, shields, conning tower, hoods and battery were protected by respectively 24,8cm/9.75”, 16,5cm/6.5”, 9,84cm/3.875” and 5,1cm/2”.