British protected cruiser 1st class HMS Grafton 1890-1920

Blake-class

Edgar-class

Powerful-class

Part of the Edgar-class consisting of the Edgar, Hawke, Endymion, Royal Arthur (ex-Centaur), Gibraltar, Grafton, St. George, Theseus and Crescent, preceded by the Blake-class and succeeded by the Powerful-class. Built under the Naval Defence Act of 1889. Laid down by Thames Ironworks, Leamouth, England on 1 January 1890, launched on 30 January 1892, sea  trials in June 1893, commissioned on 18 October 1894 and sold at Plymouth, England to be broken up on 1 July 1920.

Displacement 7,350 tons and as dimensions 118,1 x 60 metres or 387,5 x 60 feet,
Coal fired machinery consisted of 2-2 cylinder vertical triple steam expansion engines and 4 double ended cylindrical boilers supplying 10.957 (trial natural draught)-13.484 (trial forced draught) ihp. Speed 19,5 (trial natural draught)-20,5 (trial forced draught). and with a speed of 10 knots a range of 10.000 nautical miles. Crew numbered 571 men. Armour consisted of a 7,6cm/3”-12,7cm/5” deck with the casemate protected by 15,2cm/6” thick armour and the main guns by 7,6cm/3” thick shields and the conning tower by 25,4cm/10”. Armament consisted of 2x1-23,37cm/9.2” inch breech loading Mk VI guns, 10x1-5,24cm/6” quick firing guns and 12x1-6pd guns.