Weymouth-class
Of the Town-2nd class or light cruisers, Weymouth sub-class consisting of the Weymouth, Dartmouth, Falmouth and Yarmouth, succeeded by the Arethusa-class. Building ordered under the 1909-1910 Programme. Differs from the preceded Bristol series while heavier a heavier main armament and in an improved arrangement, better seaworthiness and decreased overcrowding. The large metacentric height which was to secure remaining stable when the armoured deck was flooded, caused a badly rolling ship and so a worse gun platform. During the First World War was the Weymouth series further modernized by fitting 1-7,6cm/3” anti aircraft gun in 1915 and director control equipment.
Laid down by William Beardmore&Company, Dalmuir, Scotland on 21 February 1910, launched on 20 September 1910, commissioned in September 1911, torpedoed by the German submarine U-66 but kept floating on 18 August 1916 and again torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-63 off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire, England, on 19 August 1916.
Displacement 5.360 tons and as dimensions 131, (between perpendiculars)-138,1 (over all) x 14,5 x 4,72 (mean) metres or 430-453 x 47.6 x 15.6 feet. The machinery consisted of 2 Parsons steam turbines and 12 Yarrow boilers supplying via 2 shafts 22.000 shp allowing a speed of 25 knots. With a speed of 10 knots was their range 5.610 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 475 men. The armour consisted of a 1,9/0.75”-5,1cm/2” thick deck with the conning tower protected by 10,2cm/4” thick armour. The main guns were protected by gun shields, which however provided insufficient protection of especially the lower parts of the guns caused by the gap between the bottom shields and the deck. The armament consisted of 8x1-15,2cm/6” breech loading Mark XI guns, 4x1-4,7cm/3pd/1.9” guns and 2-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes.
