CHAO HO training cruiser (1912)

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CRUISERS

Photo

Chao Ho 1932

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
肇和 [Chao Ho]			Armstrong, Elswick, UK	7.11.1910	23.10.1911	21.2.1912	sunk 15.9.1937

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	2725
Displacement full, t	2750
Length, m	100.6 pp 105.5 oa
Breadth, m	12.8
Draught, m	4.50 mean
No of shafts	3
Machinery	3 Parsons steam turbines, 4 cylindrical + 4 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	6000
Max speed, kts	20
Fuel, t	coal 550 + oil 100
Endurance, nm(kts)	4500(10)
Armour, mm	deck: 25 - 19 with 51mm slopes, CT: 76
Armament	2 x 1 - 152/50 Armstrong NN, 4 x 1 - 102/50 Armstrong P, 4 x 1 - 76/50 Armstrong 14pdr QF, 6 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss, 2 x 1 - 37/32 Maxim, 2 x 1 - 450 TT
Complement	283

Standard scale images

Chao Ho 1914

Graphics

Chao Ho 1932

Project history

According to plan of modernization of Chinese Navy accepted in 1909, China should have three fleets: Southern, Central (East) and Northern. According to it, in late 1910 the seven-year shipbuilding Programme was accepted, provided building of three light cruisers: one for each fleet. They were built by British Armstrong (Chao Ho), Vickers (Jing Swei) and American New York SB (Fei Hung, laid down 4.5.1912, completed in 1913, but was never accepted by Chinese customer and sold in 1914 to Greece as Elli) under the unified technical design and were close on data and external appearance. As crew training was considered as a priority, it was required to equip new cruisers with artillery and boilers of various systems for maximum increase of their educational potential. Chao Ho was built on Elswick under design of J. Perret. High free-board hull, with forecastle and poop, without ram. Machinery was fulfilled on atypical for British naval architectures triple-shaft scheme. Turbines were delivered by Hawthorn Leslie. Under the contract low 20kts speed was required, but on trials Chao Ho made 22.257kts at 8797hp, and on 4hrs trials in February, 1912 she has shown 22.125kts at 8622hp. 152mm/50 guns were installed on a forecastle and poop, remaining artillery placed on main deck, except 37mm guns on platform at basis of mainmast. Building of Chao Ho was delayed because of unavailability of boilers, and then in connection with revolution in China. Republican government tried to sell completed ship abroad, but finally she was accepted by Chinese crew and in the end of 1912 arrived to China.

Ship protection

Protection was ensured only by protected deck with 25mm flat part (in fore end the deck had turtleback form and had 19mm thickness) and 51mm slopes and 51mm part over steering gear compartment.

Modernizations

None.

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