NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Venus 1904

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Eclipse	D58		Portsmouth DYd	11.12.1893	19.7.1894	23.3.1897	submarine depot ship 1916, sold 8.1921
Talbot	D61, P61, PA7		Devonport DYd	5.3.1894	25.4.1895	15.9.1896	sold 12.1921
Venus	P38, P2C	381	Fairfield, Govan	28.6.1894	5.9.1895	9.11.1897	sold 9.1921
Minerva	P32, P1A, P7A		Chatham DYd	4.12.1893	23.9.1895	4.2.1897	sold 10.1920
Juno	N37, N65	239	Naval Construction & Armaments, Barrow	22.6.1894	16.11.1895	16.6.1897	sold 9.1920
Diana	D18, P58, N34	382	Fairfield, Govan	13.8.1894	5.12.1895	15.6.1897	sold 7.1920
Doris	D59, P47	240	Naval Construction & Armaments, Barrow	29.8.1894	3.3.1896	18.11.1897	sold 2.1919
Dido		283	London & Glasgow, Glasgow	30.8.1894	20.3.1896	10.5.1898	submarine depot ship 1.1914, sold 12.1926
Isis	D60, P60, N61	284	London & Glasgow, Glasgow	30.1.1895	27.6.1896	10.5.1898	sold 2.1920

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	5600
Displacement full, t
Length, m	106.7 pp 113.7 oa
Breadth, m	16.3
Draught, m	6.25
No of shafts	2
Machinery	3-cyl VTE, 8 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	natural draught: 8000, forced draught: 9600
Max speed, kts	natural draught: 18.5, forced draught: 19.5
Fuel, t	coal 1075
Endurance, nm(kts)	7000(10)
Armour, mm	Harvey steel; deck: 76 - 38, gunshields: 76, engine hatch: 152, CT: 152
Armament	5 x 1 - 152/40 QF Mk I/II, 6 x 1 - 120/40 QF Mk I/II/III/IV, 8 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I, 6 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 x 1 - 11.4/94, 3 - 450 TT (2 beam sub, 1 aft aw)
Complement	450

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Following the criticism of earlier second class cruisers the Eclipse class, provided under the Spencer Programme of 1893/94, were designed with a heavier armament but as this was combined with another major increase in size they were subject to as much abuse as their predecessors. The arrangement of hull and protection was the same as that of the Astraea class except that seaworthiness was further improved by the addition of a turtleback forecastle extending as far aft as the foremast. The armament was also arranged like that in Astraea except that the two foremost 120mm guns were replaced by two 152mm, the single 152mm on the quarterdeck was replaced by two sided 152mm and the 57mm guns were replaced by 76mm. This arrangement was chosen to secure the maximum improvement in ahead and astern fire and resulted in broadside fire being a little better than that of Astraea — 3 152mm and 3 120mm compared with 2 152mm and 4 120mm. It was eventually accepted that they were under-gunned for their size and during 1903-05 all except Eclipse were rearmed. Apart from a slight increase in power the machinery was similar to that in Astraea and designed speed and endurance were the same. On trials the ships achieved between 9760 and 9875ihp and speeds of 20 to 21.2kts. With the exception of Talbot they were the first British second class cruisers to be fitted with fighting tops which were positioned low on both masts. Dido and Isis had singie pole masts while the remainder of the class had fidded topmasts.

Ship protection

The protective deck was 38mm thick on the flat and 76mm on the slope, and the engine cylinders, where they projected above this deck, were protected by a 152mm armoured glacis around the engine room hatch.

Modernizations

1903-1905, Talbot, Venus, Minerva, Juno, Diana, Doris, Dido, Isis: - 5 x 1 - 152/40, 6 x 1 - 120/40; + 11 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk VII

Naval service

Dido collided with cruiser Berwick in 1913 but was quickly repaired and became submarine depot ship; from 1916 until the Armistice she served as depot ship for destroyer flotilla, paid off for disposal in February 1926. Eclipse in 1916 became submarine depot ship, laid up to reserve in 1918. Isis served as Cadets` TS until 1907. Talbot ran aground in the Suez Canal in September 1912, was repaired.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.