In late 1904, not long after the Royal Navy had decided to use 12-inch guns for its next generation of battleships because of their superior performance at long range, Fisher began to argue that big-gun cruisers could replace battleships altogether.

Dec 13, 2023 · While less than contemporary battleships, the CA2-D cruiser featured a more effective layout of the guns, having two mounts on the centerline that fired over the primary turrets. This allowed them to bring ten 5″/38 guns into action against targets to the side, the same as larger battleships.

A ship as large as a battleship, with the big guns of a battleship, and the sea speed of the fleetest cruiser. Even the fatal flaw of the battlecruiser, its comparatively light armor, enhances its romantic appeal.

As early as the summer of 1903 at the US Naval College's Summer Conference, it was suggested that the navy develop a "fast Battleship" mounting four 12" guns replacing armored cruisers and supplementing the battle line.

A Battle Cruiser was a naval vessel of the first class having great speed, carrying guns of the largest size and range and having good protection against gun fire and torpedo attack.

Light cruisers, with the designation CL before the number were limited to 6” main guns, while heavy cruisers, with the designation CA were limited to 8” guns. The battleships that served in WW2 had 14”, or 16” main guns.

To complement their all-big-gun battleship, the British had designed an all-big-gun cruiser, which became the battle cruiser Invincible and her two sisters. This class carried eight 12-inch guns, had a designed speed of 25 knots, but carried an armored belt of only six inches.

Jan 12, 2016 · These protected cruisers were the first steel warships of the "New Navy" of the 1880s. They were also the first equipped with modern breechloading guns. The construction of these cruisers marked the beginning of the transition from wood and sail to steel and steam.

The Alaskas ' Mark 8 guns were the heaviest main battery of any cruiser of World War II, and as capable as the old 14"/45 caliber gun used on the U.S. Navy's pre-treaty battleships. [ 42 ] The turrets were very similar to those of the Iowa -class battleships, but differed in several ways; for example, the Alaska class had a two-stage powder ...

Feb 9, 2025 · New Orleans Class ("Elswick Cruisers") as rearmed 5"/40 Marks 2, 3 and 4 Kearsarge (B-5), Brooklyn (ACR-3), Olympia (C-6), Cincinnati (C-7) and Montgomery (C-9) Classes