British armoured cruiser HMS Achilles 1904-1921

The Engineer 23 June 1905

Warrior-class

Minotaur-class

Laid down by Armstrong Whitworth, England on 22 February 1904, launched on 17 June 1905, completed on 22 April 1907, destroyed with the armed boarding steamship Dundee the German auxiliary cruiser Leopard north off the Shetland Islands on 16 March 1917, refitted between February-December 1918, stoker’s training ship at Chatham, England since then and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921. Building costs 1.191.103 pond sterling. Machinery manufactured by Hawthorn Leslie. Built under the 1903-1904 Naval Programme. Of the Warrior-class consisting of the Warrior, Achilles. Cochrane and Natal., preceded by the Duke of Edinburg-class and succeeded by the Minotaur-class.

General technical class specifications. With a displacement of 12.790 tons (Achilles 13.770 (normal)-14.700 (deep load)) and as dimensions 146,3 (between perpendiculars)-154,1 (over all) x 22,4 x 8,4 metres or 480-505.5 x 73.5 x 27,5 feet. The two vertical 4 cylinder triple expansion steam engines and 19 Yarrow and 6 cylindrical boilers supplied via 2 shaft 23.000 ihp allowing a speed of 23 knots or with a speed of 10 knots a range of 8.130 nautical miles. The crew numbered 770-789 men. The armour consisted of  a waterline belt with a thickness of 7,6-15,2cm/3-6”, a 1,9-3,8cm/0.75-1.15” thick deck, 5,1-15,2cm/2-6” thick bulkheads and the gun turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 11,4-19,1cm/4.5-7.5”, 7,6-15,2cm./3-6” and 25,4cm/10”.  The armament consisted of 6x1-23,4cm/9” breech loading Mk X guns, 4x1-19,1cm/8.5” breech loading Mk II guns, 24x1-4,7cm/3pd quick firing Vickers guns and 3-45cm/18” torpedo tubes.