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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
UNITED KINGDOM
CRUISERS
HIGHFLYER 2 class cruisers (3, 1899 - 1900)
Photo
Hermes 1899
Ships
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermes | 401 | Fairfield, Govan | 30.4.1897 | 7.4.1898 | 5.10.1899 | seaplane carrier 1913, sunk 31.10.1914 | |
| Highflyer | D22, N69, N58, N85 | 402 | Fairfield, Govan | 7.6.1897 | 4.6.1898 | 7.12.1899 | sold for BU 6.1921 |
| Hyacinth | 292 | London & Glasgow Co, Glasgow | 27.1.1897 | 27.10.1898 | 3.9.1900 | sold for BU 11.1923 |
Technical data
| Displacement normal, t | 5650 |
|---|---|
| Displacement full, t |
|
| Length, m | 106.7 pp 113.4 oa |
| Breadth, m | 16.5 |
| Draught, m | 6.25 |
| No of shafts | 2 |
| Machinery | 2 4-cyl VTE, 18 Belleville boilers |
| Power, h. p. | 10000 |
| Max speed, kts | 20 |
| Fuel, t | coal 1100 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 3300(18) |
| Armour, mm | Harvey steel; deck: 76 - 38, gun shields: 76, CT: 152, engine hatches: 127 |
| Armament | 11 x 1 - 152/40 QF Mk I/II, 9 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I, 6 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 - 450 TT (beam, sub) |
| Complement | 450 |
Standard scale images
Hermes 1899
Graphics
Hermes 1899
Project history
Repeats of Eclipse class except for the provision of uniform 152mm gun armament and installation of watertube boilers. They were provided under the 1896/97 Programme and employed the same machinery as the Arrogant which gave a 0.5kt improvement in designed speed and a 100t saving in weight compared with the Eclipse. On trials Hermes achieved 20.5kts with 10,224ihp, and the Highflyer 20.1kts with 10,344ihp, but Hyacinth was some time out of dock and only made 19.4kts with 10,536ihp. Subsequently some trouble was experienced with the boilers particularly in Hermes which was refitted with Babcock boilers during 1901-03.
Ship protection
38mm main deck with 76mm slopes protected machinery.
Modernizations
1903, Hermes: Belleville boilers were changed to Babcock.
5/1913, Hermes: was converted to seaplane carrier and can carry 3 (really 2) seaplanes. There were fore flying-off and aft landing platforms.
Naval service
Hermes was converted to seaplanes depot ship in April-May 1913 and paid off after tests in December. She was recommissioned again in August 1914 and torpedoed by German submarine U27 31.10.1914 in the Straits of Dover. Highflyer sank German AMC Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse off Rio d`Oro 27.8.1914, paid off early 1921. Hyacinth paid off in August 1919.
Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.
